Impasse of the Worlds
by CatishAngel07
Summary: The war was won. Now with the meeting of two worlds certain truths will be revealed and the lives of two people will come together, but what if the war is not done just yet and old dead faces come back: Harry/Rogue.
1. Prologue

AN: Ok people, this is one of my first stories that might ever see the eyes of people, besides me. Disclaimer, I own nothing except any OC's I have created. Oh, yes this is a cross over between Harry Potter and X-Men but also you will see a bit of Four Brothers. I love the characters for that movie so much that I wanted to bring them into this. Now you will mostly only see Jack but the other brothers will make an appearance and maybe even a little bit of La Vida Loca.

Another warning: This will in some parts contain some graphic language and will be violent in parts. I don't know if it will be seriously so but I do know there will be some. Also expect mentions of past child abuse. I am a mean person to my characters. Yes, character'_s_.

* * *

**Prologue **

**oOo**

_Rain. _

_God damn it. _

_Why does it have to rain? Like the world doesn't suck enough, now it seems as if God himself wants to spit on me. Great. Just another thing to add to the list of all the shit in my life. _

In an alleyway in downtown Detroit a youth looked up and cursed the world. He sat against a wall in an alleyway as it poured down sheets of cold rain. Not ten feet away people were walking by but none of them cared for the youth. It was a common sight to see homeless kids in the streets and ally's. They all passed by, making sure not to see the beaten down youth. Refusing with all their might to acknowledge the one they saw in the shadows.

Only the youth had no choice but to acknowledge each and every single one of them.

Within such a short amount of time his whole world had fallen apart. One day he was normal, just another kid.

Then it all went to hell.

In a small matter of time he had ended up losing his whole family and any sense of a relative constancy in his life. He was used to living a tough life, but to have it good and lose it sucked. Especially when the only one to blame was himself.

_It was always my fault_.

Being kicked out of every foster home and institution was his fault. He was never good enough for any of them. He wasn't the perfect child they wanted and they got rid of him the first time they saw proof of that. Being hurt by all the bastards they placed him with, his fault. He was too stupid to run at the right times, too stupid to do what they wanted the right way. And now it was his fault that he lost the best family he could ever be given. He messed it up so bad. There was no way he could ever go back, that they would ever let him go back.

Everything in his life was so fucked up! God, he was going to go crazy. Every person who walked by, he could hear their thoughts. He could hear them telling themselves to look away from the youth. If they couldn't see him, they wouldn't have to feel guilty for not giving a damn about him. He wasn't worth a thought from any of them, and hearing it for himself from them only proved it.

He could hear the couple down the streets thoughts as they were together in bed. She was thinking about how it all felt while he was picturing other women and even a man or two. The shop keeper thinking about his loving wife and what was for dinner. The punks thinking about where they could score some stuff and what they could do to make sure they could get it. The child crying cause they were hungry, so very hungry.

All these voices in his head; It was like the entire city was all talking at once, shouting, screaming in his head! He couldn't take it. God! He just wanted it to stop!

And suddenly, as he began to feel like he was braking apart, he noticed that the noises started to die down, to become quite. With every other second as it started to inch down, a wash of relief crashed down on him. With this relief he looked up to thank the heavens for his blessing. Though on his journey up his eyes caught sight of something much different from the murky dark skies of the city.

A few feet away was a girl. She had ebony black hair that looked wild, untamable. Looking at her you would think she couldn't be older than six years old, but when you caught sight of her eyes you knew different. They were hard eyes that showed no signs of the innocence children that young should hold. They were much older and they had seen what children should never see.

As the youth looked on at the child he could still hear the city in his mind. For a second it was forgotten at the sight of the child in front of him but only for a moment. Soon he remembered and soon all the pain came back.

He closed his eyes off, to the child, to the city, to the world, hoping, praying that it would all go away. And as he was wishing the city grew quieter and quieter in his head. When finally it grew to but a whisper he opened his eyes again to find the child in front of him, mere inches away. As the child came closer and closer, the gap between them closed with the girl hugging the older youth. The city grew to a complete, numbing silence.

The youth hugged the child to him, holding on to her as one would hold on to a raft in a storm. Something about this child kept the world's thoughts away. This child, this small and beautiful child was the only thing keeping the voices from engulfing him again. He, in the back of his mind, felt a numbness, but his own feelings of joy overrode it. The numbness that he felt with the silence was forgotten as his own feelings burst forward. Bursting, because in the dark haired girl in his arms he found a haven to keep his mind safe from the world that would otherwise ravage it.

As he was holding tightly to the precious being in his arms he realized he had been crying before the child and the silence came to him. When he looked down he saw emerald eyes gazing back up at him and in that moment he felt a love for this child. This angel. It was almost like how he felt for his brothers, but a thousand times stronger. He wanted nothing but to protect this child, to keep her safe like his brothers do for him.

_No. As they __**did**__ for him. Not any more though._

With emerald eyes looking up at him he broke down into the tears he had wept before. He cried for the loss of everything he held dear. His loving and caring mother. His brothers who were always there for him. But from now on would never be. He had lost them. There was no way he could ever get them back after what he did. He cried, and as he did the child in his arms only held on tighter, giving the youth a blissful silence and a numbness to ease everything wrong within his life.

For the rest of the night the two held on to each other, never letting go. The child lay snuggled up in the youths lap while the youth's arms were wrapped tightly around the girl he held. Both had found comfort and safety and love in the other. As they both lay sleeping they held off the others nightmares, though they did not know it was each other doing so. For the first time in a long time both the child and the youth had sweet dreams instead of the nightly horrors they were so accustomed to.

When morning came they both were sound asleep, an image of pure sweet bliss and innocence covered the two, forming a charming picture for all around to see. So deep in their slumber, the two never saw the car roll to a stop at the end of the ally, nor the two fire red haired people who stepped out of the car that walked into the alleyway and came to a stop in from of them.

...oOoOoOo...

Jean Grey and Scott Summers looked on at the sight in front of them. The teen they were looking for sat right in front of them. He was exactly were he had been before he had disappeared from Cerebro. Though they found the sight of the child in his arms to be charming, it was intriguing as well.

Yesterday evening an immense power surge had erupted in a nearby neighborhood in Detroit. Not only did they know that it was a youth coming into their first knowledge of their powers, they knew his power was in all aspects huge. Charles had not even been in Cerebro when he had felt the teen's power. Something that was able to draw the attention of the professor from more than a thousand miles away was something that had to be checked out.

But then sometime last night the teen just vanished. Without any trace what so ever. He wasn't on the mutant screens and he was no where on the humans visual either in Cerebro. For a second the Professor had thought maybe he had been killed, but last the professor saw there was no one within even ten feet of the boy and he had seemed to be in fine health. It took him a moment to realize that somehow he was being blocked from being found.

There was only one person alive who knew exactly how to do that. Magneto.

Their first thoughts were that Magneto had found the teen and taken him. But then later it was confirmed from Angel himself that the brotherhood was still in their hideaway.

So now here they were, thinking they were going to have to look everywhere for a mutant who could not be found. Earlier they had stopped at the home address the teen was listed under and found that he had run away after an incident. The entire family (though Scott found that to be a loose term for them) had been looking and where worried about him. They all knew he didn't have any places to go and they all personally knew how tough the streets were. As Jean and Scott had left, the mother asked that if they found him to please tell him to come home and that everything was alright. The words were a bit confusing to them, but maybe the teen would know their meaning.

And now here he was, in the exact spot he had been when he had disappeared. Only now there was a child too.

For a second they didn't know what to do. The teen and the child looked so peaceful that both were reluctant to awaken the two. Yet it seemed that the two adults would not have to, for as they stood there the teen who they had been looking for started to wake up on his own.

As they watched the teen, he started to come to awareness and his hold on the child tightened. The two both would have sworn it was a desperate attempt to get even closer to them. When he caught sight of the two standing in front of him he wrapped his arm tighter around the child as though to protect her. Though he appeared scared of the two in front of him, he also showed a fierceness which startled the two veteran X-Men.

When the child in his arms started to wake up and looked up to see the two standing above her, they both where shocked to see her tremble and then bury herself in the teens shoulder, trying to hide. The teen held on tighter and at this sight, this show of such strong protection, both Scott and Jean knew that to cause a fight with him right now would be very unwise. Not only because the teen was an unknown and they had no idea as to what he could do but also because at that moment, there was nothing he wouldn't do for the child he held.

Taking a very tentative step forward, Jean made a motion trying to show she meant no harm. The child though only buried herself farther into her protector and her protector became even more furious.

"Please, everything is alright. We are just here to help you Jack."

"Who the hell are you!" Scared. Both Jean and Scott saw it in his eyes. Though it was hidden under a very thick mask of rage, he was scared of what they would do with him. But when they saw him tighten his grip on the child they were sure that he was scared for the child as well.

Jean knew she had to calm the teen down. If he became any more emotional then he could and would lose any control he had of his powers. With as much power as he had, that would not be a good thing.

"I'm Jean Grey and this is Scott Summers. We help children like you."

"Like me?" Indignation. The new emotions kept coming along with the raising of his voice. The child shrank away from this but the teen seemed to take no notice.

"Yes. Children with abilities-"

"Abilities! This isn't an ability, it's a curse! I almost went insane! How can you help me with that?!" His voice rang through the alley. The amount of anger in his voice caused the two X-Men to jump. He was seething and glaring at the two but never did he let go of the child.

"We can teach you to control it. You will be completely safe."

"There is no such thing as safe. I learned that a long time ago."

"I promise you will be safe. We won't let anything happen to you. And if you let us we could help you control what you have. You already seem to have some-"

"No." It was a whisper, no longer an angry yell. He looked down to the child in his arms, who had started to shake violently when the teen's voice started to rise. The teen changed the grip of his arms around her into a sort of reassuring gesture. He rubbed the girls back and whispered in her ear. As they watched the child seemed to calm down a bit. When the teen started to look up there were tears in his eyes.

"No. I have no control over it. There is nothing you could do. I've already ruined everything. There is absolutely nothing you could do."

"But we can. I promise you. And you haven't ruined anything. Are you talking about with your family?"

At her last words brought back the fury they had seen earlier, though this time he did not explode. When he spoke though it was heard clearly in his voice. "Yes. That is exactly what I mean."

Jean smiled softly. "Miss Mercer is a very kind lady." Jack looked up startled. "We spoke with her earlier. She was very worried about you. Did you know your brothers had been searching for you all night?" Jack shook his head. "Yes, they were and when we arrived they had only just gotten back. Miss Mercer asked us that if we found you to tell you to come home and that everything is alright."

Jack seemed to break at these words. Something inside of him gave way and every emotion he had been holding swept over him. Scott and Jean watched as the angry teen broke down. Suddenly he looked so young and fragile. This youth in front of them they could tell had lived a tough life. That to him, the world was hard, no exceptions. Offered hands weren't a thing he had ever seen.

The child in his arms looked up for the first time. "Can I come?"

The intensity in her voice and her eyes startled the two professors. Young she may have looked physically, but not her eyes. Emerald and wise, beyond what any child's should be, beyond what some adults were.

For the first time Scott found himself entering in the conversation. "I don't think-"

"What's your name?" Jean's tone was soothing, though her look towards Scott was lethally sharp, promptly shutting him up.

"Har-…Harker, Miss Grey."

Everything about this girl told Jean to protect her. Never before had she ever seen a child in such horrid shape. Her cloths were practically rags, stained in what looked decidedly like blood. The one thing the two thought looked massively out of place was the bracelet done, very elegantly in black metal. On the whole, she looked more like a beaten down dog rather than a child. She obviously needed a place to go and Jean knew Xavier would take her in even if she wasn't a mutant. The only problem would be if there were any parents that would not want her to go. Of course if there were then she would most likely not be out sleeping in an alleyway. "Of course, so long as everything is cleared up with your parents-"

"I don't have any. Nor do I have any guardians. May I please?" Now that she was talking a British accent could be heard carrying in her voice. Her voice was pleading. There was no way that Jean could have told her no when this child looked so broken at the prospect of her speaking such a small word.

"For now." She could make no promises to anything, but Jack seemed to need this child. And she seemed to need Jack, and a place to go. They would look into everything they could find on the child and then come to any permanent decisions whenever they had all the information.

Once Jack cried out his tears he looked up at the two. "You can really help?"

It was a simple question but there was so much more to it. Can you help with my ability? Can you help with my life? And the answer that she had was very simple.

Jean extended her hand. "I think we can. I really do think we can."

It was probably the first time a hand had ever been offered that was truly a helpful one. With hesitation he took it though. From then Jack and Harker where welcomed by the mutants known as the X-Men.

While the two elder mutants helped the two into the car, half way across the world, at the stroke of midnight on July 31st, another child was finding out and about to become apart of a world most knew nothing of through a letter written in green ink, delivered by a giant. Little did he or the ones in the ally know, but in only a matter of years both their world and his would cross and come together.

EDITED BY: Ryuu2


	2. Mermories back then

AN: Hey, I like to do these at the beginning. So, yeah, here it is. I think I may have said this in the last chapter but I forget and am too lazy to go and look. I can not promise anyone who is reading this that I will be able to keep constant updates. I have gotten back into school so a lot of my time is going to be taken up by that so yeah. I hope I will but like said, I can't even think to make any promises.

Well here you go. I don't have too much to ramble about at the moment so here you go. I hope with my dearest of black heart's that you enjoy! ……….(Oh, if you happen to see any misspells tell me. I try to catch them but I'm human so I do make a mistake here and there. Thanks!!)

* * *

_**Six Years Later:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**_

_It was hard to imagine. The war was over. Voldemort was dead and gone and I am…free._

It seemed as though the war would last forever for Harry Potter. There were too many people who would die before everything would finally end. But it did and now everyone was safe from the crazy, sadistic madman.

And now life was going on.

And here Harry now was at the start of his seventh and final year. Yet instead of being at a train station he was at a pier. Instead of going to Hogwarts, he and every other student was going to America.

Harry looked on at all the other students around him and he still found it hard to believe exactly how it had come to this. Come to Hogwarts nearly destroyed and them having to go to a different country. It felt like the battle had only just begun a few minutes ago. Yet, here they were; months later feeling all the odd, yet happy, affects of the event.

oOoOoOo::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::oOoOoOo

Sixth year had been going as every year before had. Some times smooth while at others bumpy and very hard. Dumbledore had been training Harry all year and had been taking him to go and find all the horcrux's. They had destroyed all but two, which were the snake Voldemort always kept with him, Nagini, and the one they had just acquired, the locket of Slytherin. They had just gotten back from the cave the locket was hidden in, only to find that Hogwarts was under attack.

When they landed their broomsticks on one of the towers they heard foot steps, and Dumbledore quickly hid Harry. Not a second later, Draco Malfoy came bursting through the door and disarmed Dumbledore. Dumbledore stayed calm throughout his entire conversation with Draco, and just when the Malfoy heir started to lower his wand, Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape came bursting through the door.

Draco's wand was up at full height and the words were on his lips when suddenly his father was standing in front of him. Gently, oh so gently, he pushed his son's arm down and stopped him from saying the spell that would end the old wizard's life

"No Draco."

"But, if I don't-"

"No. Now listen. You need to go. Go, hide in the forest on the edges. Make sure no one sees you."

"But-"

"You have to go."

"No! If I don't do this then you and mother are dead! I can't, no, I won't let that happen!"

"Listen Draco, I am proud of you." Silence. Harry was stunned by the words of the elder Malfoy. Never had he heard such softness from either of the Malfoy men in front of him. And he could see Draco was breaking apart at his fathers words. A very un-Malfoy thing to do yet even if Harry could have said anything he would never have. "I am very proud. Now, you must go. I will come for you and I will explain. Now go. Go!"

Dumbledore stepped up to the two Malfoys and handed Draco one of the brooms. Neither Malfoy noticed that there had been two, but Snape had. He looked all around and when he saw nothing Harry saw the look of realization on his face. Snape knew that it wasn't just the four men on the tower, that there was someone else. And he knew exactly who.

Malfoy kissed his son on the head and then Draco was off. The elder Malfoy watched his son for a second and then he turned to Dumbledore. He looked, Harry thought, very tired and weary. "This needs to end Dumbledore. We won't win if we keep having to fight. The Dark Lord will know that there was someone who turned, and when he finds Draco has yet to kill you-"

"He will seek him out to kill him. I know. That is why we will finish this tonight."

"You mean we can?" Hope. Another look never expected to been seen on the patriarch of the Malfoy family.

"Yes. What I told you I have been working on this year is finally finished. Now we must only finish Tom and his familiar."

"Potter is here?" For the first time Snape spoke. The usual sneer he reserved just for having to use Harry's name was surprisingly absent.

"Yes. You may come out now Harry." As he spoke the spell lifted and Harry quickly threw off the invisibility cloak. Lucius was shocked but his pureblood breeding stopped him from showing it. In a second he was back to his usual cold self. It was only by the slight widening of his eyes that Harry knew he was at all surprised. "Now, I presume that Voldermort will be participating in the battle tonight?"

The two Death Eaters nodded their heads and then all four of them had proceeded to make their way down the tower. They could hear the battle and made haste yet it was quite a large tower so they had plenty of time to discuss what was needed to be done.

"Lucius my boy, once we have entered into the battle you will need to pick which side you will fight with, as will you Severus. If we do win this and end it all tonight, and you both have been fighting alongside Voldemort…"

"Yes. It was hard enough for you to help me last time when I wasn't ever seen alongside him. It will be next to impossible if such were to occur tonight." Snape said. He grasped the gravity of the entire situation in those few words. If he fought with Dumbledore and Voldemort won he would be severely punished, if not killed. If he fought with Voldemort to try and keep his cover and the light won, everyone would have seen him with the Dark Lord and he would be sure to go to Azkaban or be given the Dementor's kiss.

Lucius also understood the gravity of his situation. If Voldemort won and Lucius was not seen at his side the whole time, then not only would he be killed, but so would both his wife and his only son, if only out of spite.

Harry saw understanding on both their faces. There was no way to be sure who would win, who would live though the night. There were no routes the two could take to ensure they would be fine in either outcome. They both had to choose.

"I don't know about Severus but I choose to fight with you. I'm tired of living a life bowing to a crazy lunatic who might find fit to kill me or my family at any moment. I'm tired, and one way or another it will all end tonight anyway."

"I think Lucius has actually become a tad bit wise in his old age. Living life hated from both sides, living in fear and hiding your true self is very tiring. It is time to show everyone where it is we stand." At his last words they emerged in the chaos below. They both stood true to their words and fought along side both Harry and Dumbledore. The two took out several Death Eaters each by taking advantage of the fact that they were completely baffled by what they were seeing. Of course, Harry had to stop several of his class mates from attacking the elder Malfoy and the potions master, some more than once.

Somehow the battle ended up taking to the grounds outside, where almost all of the Order of the Phoenix had appeared but they were still greatly outnumbered. Among the ranks of the Death Eaters were a scattering of werewolves and vampires, along with several other dark creatures. Giants loomed overhead, swinging their clubs and wounding people on both sides with each swing. Dementors stalked the grounds, causing all to feel dread and worry that they would lose the battle.

It was easy to see the Order was outnumbered. Anyone could tell that it was easily five to one odds. One being the good guys.

The battle seemed to be turning for the worse. Though all of the students had been led out of the castle to safety and all members of the Order were there, it simply did not seem to help matters. Worse yet, even though all of the members of the Order were there, several of the inner circle of Death Eaters were not. And Voldemort had yet to appear as well.

Many were wounded, yet none seemed to have been killed. Yet, anyways. Many seemed to know that this battle would end with Voldemort once more victorious. The Death Eaters crowed at this and the Order looked broken. Yet even as many realized that they would lose, not one of them had stopped fighting or surrendered. Each and every one of them only fought harder, wanting to go out making sure the Death Eaters felt each and every single blow they threw at them.

Even though Harry saw the determination in all his friends and comrades faces, he knew that this would all end soon. The battle was almost at its end. Harry had yet to lose hope until right at that moment. He saw the grim looks on his potions professor's face and that of the elder Malfoy. They too knew how this would end. Yet Harry could not see any regrets on either of the elder men's faces.

This was the end. Voldemort was going to win and he wasn't even here to throw it in there faces.

In that moment as many seemed to lose their faith, a new element was suddenly added to the battle. Something flew over head, causing most to pause and look towards the new addition to the battlefield.

In the sky overhead were several shapes and forms. They were too far away at the moment to make out much but Harry was of the impression that they looked like people. It was only faint but he could swear that's what they were. Although a few of them seemed to have…wings?

In the next few second the grounds were swarmed with new people. None of them were familiar to Harry, but he heard a few of the Order members say things like 'thank god' and 'their here!' Harry guessed that they weren't unknown to the light. And when they started to fight the Death Eaters, well, that brightened everyone fighting for the lights day.

The bad guys though, for them, not so much. They were practically annihilated. These new comers brought with them a new hope and every witch and wizard felt that. They had a chance. Then when the dementors affects started to wear off they really started to believe.

A voice in many of the Order members heads told them suddenly to get rid of the dementors. It wasn't long before many of them conjured a patronous. Soon the field was clear of all of the macabre figures and then everyone moved on to the rest of the dark forces.

Along with the new arrivals there seemed to be a clan of vampires, as well with a few werewolf type shape shifters, that had joined the fight for the light. They soon took out all of the dark werewolves and enemy vamps. When they were done, they joined in on going at the Death Eaters.

In mere moments the battle had turned around and now the Order was winning. These strange new fighters were all using odd spells. Each only seemed to use one or two spells but some used them in some ingenious ways. They also where engaging in hand to hand combat. Most wizards, the second you took away their wand or got past its reach, were completely useless at physical endeavors, and Death Eaters seemed to be no exception to this.

Another thing that Harry noticed was that nearly all the spells the Death Eaters were sending out were going nowhere near their targets. It was as if they suddenly hit something and then bounced in a totally different and completely harmless direction. Some spells where even absorbed, it seemed, into something and suddenly disappeared into thin air. With the loss of many of their allies, and with the sudden barrier against their spells, the Death Eaters started to panic and then…then they fled.

But before the Order could properly feel victory, and the Death Eaters could reach the tree line, the inner circle walked out from the exact point that all the Death Eaters had been running to. Only seconds after the dozen or so wizards and witches arrived, Voldemort appeared in the center of them all. Slithering around his shoulders was his snake familiar, Nagini. The onlookers could see he was dragging something behind him. Once clear of the trees and surrounded by his followers, he threw what he had been dragging out into the area in-between of the two forces, though closer to him and his Death Eaters.

It was Draco. Except instead of the usually well manicured, stuck up aristocrat, there lay a bloodied and battered copy of the boy. Even though he hated the brat, Harry felt sadness. He saw the pain he was in and knew only too well what Voldemort did to the people he deemed worthy of his punishments.

"Look here, a traitorous worm among a den of snakes. Such a coward as to run away from the very raid he was to lead. Whose own father turned against me, is fighting against me even now." While his forces were laid practically to waste and with only a handful of Death Eaters still standing to fight for him, Voldemort still was able to scare any and all with only his words. His mere presence was sending a chill of terror down the spines of all there arrayed against him. Even the new fighters, to the field and to the war, who had never seen him felt it. The man himself was pure darkness that infected even the brightest of things.

Lucius, who Harry could see out of the corner of his eye, was trying desperately to get to his son. Snape and Lupin were holding on to him, keeping him form running forward to save his son. He was clawing and grabbing and doing anything he could to gain even another inch, anything to move towards his son. He too looked nothing like the aristocrat he always presented himself as. For once he looked like a regular man, and at the moment a man who was trying desperately to save his only son.

Voldemort looked down at his once most loyal servant's son. "Such a waste. Already I have had to dispose of the lovely Narcissa. Now I suppose there is nothing left to do but to finish off the rest of your family Lucius. Maybe then you will finally see what happens to those who betray me."

In the next second the only thing anyone saw was the green flash of a killing curse flying through the air. Another life gone in a mere second. Harry saw many turn away but he couldn't do it himself. Though he wished he could, he knew he had to stay, to watch. Whether out of respect or some sense of obligation, he just couldn't turn. So he watched as the boy whom he'd spent six years hating until just earlier that night was brought to the end of his life.

Then, to Harry's amazement, it didn't. Everyone who had turned around or closed their eyes had missed it but for Harry and the rest who hadn't, they saw that most amazing sight.

The curse had flown through the air and would have landed true. But before it came within even several feet of Draco it was stopped, as though a barrier was in its way, and then it disappeared. Even the ones who saw it did not believe it. There was nothing that could stop an Unforgivable. Nothing. Yet there Draco was, still alive.

For those who missed it, a look of confusion graced their faces; and for those who saw it amazement. But when Harry looked up and saw Voldemort he could have laughed at the completely dumbfounded look he found there. Once he got over it though, he tried again, and again received the same results. Again and again and again he tried, but Draco still lay there, breathing and alive.

Harry looked around and saw many of the new fighters had small smiles and smirks on their faces, not the confused ones of all the magic users. They seemed to understand what no one else did. One even started to laugh though by the look on his face Harry thought he probably knew something everyone else didn't.

Suddenly Harry saw Lucius break away from his holders and race across the field to his son. Once he got there he started to check him over and look for any damage. He seemed to forget that there was a mass murderer only feet away.

And at this Voldemort grew even more enraged. Seeming to forget the use of his want he stormed forward towards the two Malfoys. Lucius and Draco seemed to remember now and looked up in fear, thinking that this must have been their end.

But, like his spells previously, he could not come within so much as five feet of the two. With the force at which he went at them and then suddenly hit the barrier, he ended up landing on his back side.

At this point several people started to laugh at the impossibility of the whole situation. In the moments of laughter on one side and confusion and panic on the other the two Malfoy's got up and ran to their side of the field and to the safety of comrades. To anyone who saw the two they could tell they were thanking every God and supreme power they could think of at that moment. It wasn't everyday that such a miraculous event as surviving one killing cure, let alone a dozen of the Dark Lords, happened.

Once Voldemort reclaimed his footing and saw the mass of faces laughing at him, he lost any sense of control he might have had and let out a roar of rage. The new fighters thought nothing of this fit of anger but the witches and wizards immediately saw the danger. The glare in his eyes spoke of the evil that he was and those who saw remembered why they feared the man.

With one last glance at the field he suddenly let loose another spell. Only this one was nothing anyone had ever seen.

So large was it that it could have taken out more than half of the light side. Every one saw this and thought there was no way this could be stopped. The miraculous barrier might have been able to stop the killing curses earlier but this was simply too large to be stopped. Everyone feared this was the end, some for themselves, and many others for their friends, family, and trusted comrades.

Yet again the spell though did not hit what was believed to be the obviously intended targets. Instead it hit another barrier. The difference this time though was that it did not disappear but instead changed course. Instead of the army in front, it went over their heads and behind them. Straight into Hogwarts herself.

As they all watched, Hogwarts was hit. The destruction caused by the spell was massive. Most of the foundation of the building was safe but once you looked up you only saw complete devastation. The entire west side of the castle was destroyed. The astronomy tower which Harry had landed on only hours ago could be seen falling as the part beneath it was completely destroyed.

Suddenly a scream erupted form the field, from the side of the light.

"NOOOO!!!!! IMPASSE!!!!" From the corner of Harry's eye he could see the fighter he recognized as the one who laughed out loud earlier running across the field. That was the last clear thing he saw as he was suddenly hit with a wave of unbearable pain.

Harry had not felt pain like this for such a long time. Growing up there were times where suddenly out of nowhere an immense pain would come from nowhere and spread over his entire body. There was no source and there was no apparent cause for the pain. It was as random as possible and would last anywhere from seconds to days. Then there were the times where it would disappear for just as random amounts of time. Harry had learned to grow accustomed to this and over time learned to think of it as normal. And Harry often had his own problems and things to deal with so the phantom feelings faded into the background.

Along with the pain though would also come feelings that where not his own. These were always feelings ever of the darker sort, never of the cheerful kind. He learned what many of these emotions where for the first time because of the phantom sensations.

He had not felt the pain and emotional burst in nearly six years though. He could remember clearly the last time that he had felt them. It had been the day he had gotten his first letter to Hogwarts. It had been worse than any of the pain he had felt over the years. He had felt like he was going to die. It was the one reason he had let his uncle get away with taking his letter from him. He just hadn't been able to think through the pain. It had lasted over several days and then the night Hagrid had come for him it completely left. Never again had he felt it.

Until now.

This, this was unbearable. Worse than his scar at any point in all the past six years. And he knew that it was all Voldemort's fault. In those few seconds he came to the realization that all these feelings were someone else's, and that this had come as a result Voldemort's last spell.

In a sudden rush Harry knew he would do anything to stop whatever it was that had brought about this pain, and he felt this incredible anger at Voldemort. How dare he hurt them. How DARE he!!

The next moments he still could not remember. He only knew from what his friends told him. He had suddenly drawn out a massive amount of pure, raw magic and sent it all right at Voldemort. It had hit him and two of his closest followers, Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback, along with his familiar Nagini. There had been nothing left of them, not that anyone had wanted there to be.

It was over. The war, the Death Eaters' reign, and the time of darkness was finally over. Their world would have to be put back together and there were people to mourn. Harry though would not be there for all of this because after his little stunt he slept and slept and slept. He was asleep for an entire month.

oOoOoOo::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::oOoOoOo

Harry snapped out of his thoughts. Lately he had a tendency to do that. When he looked around him he saw their ship was pulling into a port. There were three buses off to the side and there were no other ships anywhere near by. This was obviously a private pier. A good idea when you have a number of wizards who would have no idea how to act in front of a large crowd of muggles.

Once they were all off the boat a woman with dark skin and hair as white as the purest snow walked up to them with a warm smile.

"Hello, my name is Ororo Munroe and on behalf of Professor Xavier, welcome to America."

EDITED: By Ryuu2


	3. Into America and a Meeting With Magik

AN: I think I should warn you all. I don't know the world of X-Men very well. I have seen a few of the cartoon shows and the movies and have learned bits and pieces here and there. So for the die hard fans out there, please don't be mad. I found all the character descriptions on Wiki or and chose the characters I liked from there to put in this story. So some I know were never in the same series' as others but from what I read I liked them and put them in here. I will apologize for my lack of knowledge on this subject but I cannot find it in me to apologize for the story I am to write. If you don't like this, then I have warned you and you now know so, yeah.

Also for the X-Men fans, I changed Magik (Daytripper) or Amanda Sefton. She is in this story a witch so she is going to know all about the wizarding world and kind of be the one to help explain thing to both sides. Also I am using the movie version of Wolverine. Hugh Jackman did a great job in my opinion (at least in the first two, three bit in every aspect) and I'm making him tall. I just can't see him being shorter than my OC.

Anyway, happy note now. For a few who thought this was interesting to put an alert on it, here is the next chapter. Please enjoy!!…. Oh and review!

* * *

Interesting. That was all Harry could think as he looked out the window. He had expected there to be differences once he got to America. Not like big signs shouting things at him or anything but for there to just be something different. But really, he could have been back in England for all he would have known.

That really didn't matter though. He had never really been allowed to go on any of the family trips with the Dursley's. They had even once been to America but he had to stay across the street with Mrs. Figg. When they had gotten back they had not been pleasant at all. Harry still flinched at the memories of his Uncle blaming 'them' for having to come back early. No, Harry was just glad to be here. This was his first real trip anywhere and he was going to enjoy it no matter what.

After the battle Harry had found out that the people who had helped were know as mutants and the group that had helped them was known as the X-Men. There had been others from a group called the Brotherhood but that was never explained well. Anyways, it seemed these guys somehow knew Dumbledore and had decided to help. While Hogwarts was not destroyed, it was found to be unstable, so one of the mutants had offered for them a stay at his school. So this was their end destination.

Also, this year was the first year that would actually be normal. Ok, there is no such thing as normal in the wizarding world. And yes, they did have to go to a different school in America with a group of kids with odd powers who were like the muggle version of themselves because a maniac _kinda_ blew up their last one. But there would be no evil dark lords after him this year. No having to have guards with him and having to go places under disguise so he wouldn't be killed in the middle of the street. Hell, he would likely not even be recognized! The war had started to flow into America the first time around but it had never gotten that far the second time. So the likelihood of being goggled at or asked for an autograph was decidedly low here.

Yes, this would be a good year. He didn't even have to worry about the Slytherins being a problem.

Almost every fourth through seventh year had helped in the raid of Hogwarts. Only two had decided to stay out of it, Blaise Zabini and a small fourth year girl. They would be the only one's to return this year. Well, them and Malfoy.

Since he had actually _not_ killed Dumbledore he was able to walk away from everything with only a few glares and harsh words. Considering that most of his classmates were now in Azkaban or detention centers, he had nothing to complain about. The fact that his father had been a spy for the Order had helped in the end too. It was later found out that he had turned right after the return of Voldemort. No one knew why and the only people who did were Dumbledore and Snape. There were rumors that something happened in the time in between the two wars, but no one knew for sure, and the one's that did were respecting the elder Malfoy's privacy and keeping quite.

The one thing that was known was Draco had never been able to learn of the change. Once Voldemort had come back, he had kept a very close eye on his followers. And when Draco had taken the mark his father had been in prison so there had been nothing he could do to stop it. Once out he had tried but with the loss of Voldemort's favor after the Ministry incident, any wrong moves would have been lethal. This was all revealed so Draco would be absolved of any charges. That and the fact that he and his whole family would have been killed if he hadn't done what he did, helped to weigh the scales in Draco's favor.

So now Draco and Blaise were the only seventh years and there was only one fifth year. Yeah, that was another thing that would be weird, but Harry wasn't going to let such a small matter get in his way to a quiet year. No sir, no way.

After Harry had gotten out of that damned infirmary bed he had a run in with Draco. They both had decided that to make this year a good one they would have a sort of truce between the two. They were by no means friends now but they weren't out to kill each other either.

So, yes a good year. A normal, or normal as can be year, was just the right thing for him.

As he looked out of the bus he saw the outskirts of New York City. Though they had traveled supper fast, crossing the Atlantic in only a day and going backwards on the clock, they still arrived in the late afternoon. The sun that was setting was causing the city to shine red with the twilight. It was an amazing sight to see. It would be interesting to see what the magical world had done to keep from being found here. He was looking forward to seeing their version of Diagon Alley.

Harry turned away from the window and looked around him. The entire Gryffindor house was situated on the bus along with about a third of the Slytherins. The sorting had taken place before they had left.

Sitting across the aisle from Harry was Ron and Hermione. They had finally gotten together and now were both snuggled up to each other. Hermione was asleep and Ron was just holding her. He had a far away look on his face and Harry knew he was thinking about his father. In the battle he had taken a curse from a Deatheater. Though he didn't die, he had been admitted to St. Mungo's. He has been unable to talk or move on his own and he wasn't even showing any signs of thought or recognition to what is going on around him. He's what muggles would call brain dead. The body was there but the mind, well, that was gone. Harry thought it was probably harder than if he had taken a killing curse. To have to watch a loved one in such a state, where they can do nothing, feel nothing. Mrs. Weasley and the rest of the family had been at his bedside almost their entire summer. The healers said there was nothing they could do and Harry himself had felt like he had lost a father all over again once he had been told. It had to have been hard to be going in between two different people who both seemed to be the exact same. The twins had told him that their mother had nearly broken. With one member of the family in a sorta coma and the other not even really there, Harry felt bad that he put them through the added bit with him. A month in a coma, like the twins said, it almost destroyed their mother.

Harry snapped out of that train of thought when Ron looked over at him. They had both come to think of each other as more then friends; as brothers. They could see in each others eyes what was passing through the others mind. They shared a look and then went back to their own thoughts, a little lighter now with the knowledge that they weren't the only ones traveling down that mental road.

Harry then looked behind him and saw Ginny with a few of her year mates. They too had become like siblings as well. Some made comments on how they would be wonderful together but they both knew that would never happen. They both only saw each other as family.

All the older Slytherins, what was left of them, were on this bus too. It seemed that people thought the Gryffindor's could handle them better than any of the other houses. However, they had yet to cause a single problem so far. Draco and Blaise were right in front of Harry and, though they looked like they despised what they were riding in, Harry had yet to hear a word of complaint and they had been near him, surprisingly, the entire time.

Everyone was tired and resting so there was little talk and what there was consisted of hushed whispers. It was peaceful. Even McGonagall and Snape seemed to have been taken aback by the two houses behaving in such a state.

When Harry looked up he saw the eyes of a blond girl on him, staring very intently at him, or more precisely his forehead. But, that can't be. No one should know who he was. She was, when Harry looked closer quite attractive. Blue eyes and blond hair, nice build. She was sitting at the front of the bus. He vaguely remembered her from when he got on. She had already been on it along with the driver and a woman with fiery red hair. The man was a burly man, very tall and looked like he could snap a person in half. He didn't look at all happy to be here and for some reason to Harry he looked vaguely familiar. The red headed woman looked almost motherly, yet extremely fierce. Maybe she was a long lost younger sister of Mrs. Weasley?

As the girl was looking at Harry, Draco found himself watching a very interesting show. Not only was this girl looking at Potter with hungry eyes, Potter was trying to escape said stare. Though nothing he did seemed to make the pretty blond look away. It was quite a sight and Draco was not about to pass up the perfect opportunity to make Potter even more uncomfortable.

"Look Potter, you seem to have a fan already and you've hardly even been in the country for more than a few hours." Even though he was taking the opportunity to make Harry uncomfortable there was no sneer or hatred in his voice, merely humor at the situation.

The blond was only sitting a few seats up, two up and across the aisle, right behind the driver and besides the red head. With that distance she was most defiantly able to hear what was said. Harry groaned at this thought but he, and every other person on the bus, was not expecting her reaction that came from this comment.

There was an overly loud and high pitched…squeal.

The bus driver especially hadn't and nearly swerved off the road into oncoming traffic. Yet this didn't stop the girl from jumping up and running down to stand in front of Harry. She was jumping up and down like a child on a sugar rush, with more squealing and clapping her hands obnoxiously fast. The bus driver was cursing up a storm at which McGonagall was staring at him sternly. Snape was only smirking at the whole affair, seeing as it had something to do with Harry and was indeed making him very uncomfortable. Anyone on the bus who had been sleeping was now wide awake due to either the high pitched noise that could have broken glass or the large travel bus nearly running into oncoming cars. It really could have been either.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my GOD!!! It's **HARRY POTTER**!!" And then another squeal erupted from her mouth and nearly everyone on the bus had to cover their ears. She was worse than Moaning Murtle when she pitched a fit. Through the over hyper-ness Harry was able to pick up a bit of an accent though he couldn't be sure as the girl started to squeal the second he had notice it. The bus driver, who obviously had had enough of it, suddenly yelled down the bus.

"What in the world do you think you're doing Amanda?" He didn't turn around to yell at her but he glared into the mirror. It didn't have any affect on the girl what so ever as she was still staring at Harry. The other person who had been on the bus with the two was lightly giggling, though she was hiding it behind her hand.

"It's Harry Potter, it's **the **Harry Potter." She kept repeating this over and over again. If Harry hadn't faced one of the darkest wizards there ever was, this here would have frightened him. In all actuality, it somewhat did.

"Yes, I think we got that Amanda. We know the kid's name. Now why are you pitchin' a fit? You're actin' like he's a celebrity or somethin'." Ever student on the bus looked around at that. It was kinda funny they thought. If only he knew.

"What are you talking about Logan? He's famous! This is the one and only Harry Potter!" Eye rolls all around at this. That fact had already been established. "He defeated You-Know-Who when he was one. And then almost every single year since he arrived at the school of Hogwarts he has come face to face with Him and has walked away every single time. Oh my god, I can't believe you're Harry Potter!!" Yet another squeal.

Silence was met with this statement. She couldn't have been any older than Harry himself and she was an American. Why in the world would she know who he was and what was with the reaction?

"What in the world did you just say? You-know-who? Amanda, you're talkin' in your riddles again." Logan seemed to have gotten over his anger as he realized it was just another one of _those_ situations. What had he thought it was? As Harry saw out of the corner of his eyes, Logan was flexing his hands over the wheel.

"Logan, she is talking about the wizard who we helped fight only a few months ago. Surely you haven't forgotten?" The red head spoke for the first time. Her voice was kind as she chided him.

"Oh, that guy. Why didn't you just say Voldemort?" Everyone on the bus shuddered. He saw this and was only more puzzled. He let it drop as he looked at Harry. He seemed to be trying to figure out what the deal was about. Harry could have sworn something else passed across his eyes, but it was gone so quick he forgot about it and let it pass. He went to look back at Amanda through the mirror though she still was only looking at Harry. "I thought he was older. The way he was made out to be, you would think he at least would be full grown." After that he turned his full attention back to the road.

Harry wanted to huff at this but he had heard it before. He was only 5'8, not really short but still it gave the impression he was younger than he was, especially when everyone around him was at least two to three inches taller than him. How he grew up probably had to do with that. The Dursley's hadn't cared to feed him regularly for ten years. That and… everything else was bound to have an effect on a person's body.

"Oh, you hush Logan. After all you have seen you know better than to judge by appearances." The red head and Logan shared a look. He nodded his head and went back to driving but now he seemed to be thinking something over. Her words seemed to have gotten something into his head to think about.

"Yeah, Logan. Hush." Amanda looked at him for the first time in the conversation and he merely glared at her. It scared her enough to duck her head, but then she was back to staring at Harry as though nothing happened. "Anyway, for the last six years of his life he has been fighting for the wizarding world and shown he is more than capable in any situation. And he's single!"

With these words the bus was silent again. No one knew how to react to that statement. It didn't last though as Draco's laugh boomed through the bus. It was the first time many had ever heard it. It seemed after the final battle he had become less held back. He still wasn't open to the world and thought himself better than everyone else but he was less of an all around ass now, Harry found.

"Oh this is classic. Not only is Potter loved by all in the wizarding world he now has a muggle falling over for him. Looks like the Boy-Who-Lived lived to be loved by fan girls." He continued to laugh and never noticed a wand pointing right at him. When he did though he was surprised to see who it belonged to.

Harry had known the second he walked onto the bus that the girl was a witch. Since he had woken up after the final battle he had found that he could sort of feel and see a person's energy. With witches and wizards it was always a different shade of black or gray, but never white, depending on how light or dark they were. And all seemed to have a certain tint or shade of a color to them. He guessed this was their aura he was seeing. He had also found that he could feel magic when it was being done and that he could feel a trace of magic on something that had been spelled. He had been fascinated when he had looked at his invisibility cloak or his wand.

This witch was light so he thought nothing of getting onto the bus with her. The others though, they weren't magical but they had a mass of power to them. The women had a bright red light in her that almost reminded him of Fawkes. The man though Harry almost sensed a bit of an animal to. Harry had gotten the sense that the man was a fighter, strong. Neither of them, he noticed, had a shade to them that indicated that they were light or dark but instead he saw that their powers were bright, brilliant colors.

With this he guessed they had to have been mutants. Though muggles also had an energy to them, Harry had found that it was always dull and had no real color to it. The fact that even they had an energy to them made him realize what he was seeing was what made everyone alive. It seemed all forms of people had this energy. With wizards it was strong, shaded in black and grey, and with mutant it was always vibrant, with both colors and a mixture of feelings.

Harry wondered what had brought on the change in him which allowed him to do this. He had yet to speak of it to anyone, knowing that there was no one who would know about it. Never had he ever heard about anything like what he could do. He had looked and looked through the summer holiday but he had yet to find anything.

Snapping back to what was going on; he saw Amanda was now staring down at Draco looking ready to curse him. "You will watch your tongue you pureblood prick. The day I am a muggle is the day Albus Dumbledore starts to use the killing curse. I know what You-Know-Who's reign did to the world. We should all thank Potter for what he did. You should learn that opening your mouth is a very unpleasant experience for the rest of us who have a touch of humanity to us. You would do better if you learned to shut it."

Now Harry was sure of the accent that seemed to have thickened with her anger but it was her tone that he found was lethal and all Draco could to in response was gape at her. Five seconds ago she had been a muggle and now she was a pissed off witch who had told him off. He wasn't used to being talked down to and he had no reaction for it. It was one thing when Harry and him got in to it; this was a whole different situation.

She was about to continue when the woman up front spoke again. "Enough Amanda. One lashing from you is enough for today I think. He's likely either to attack you or fall for you. And I doubt Kurt would like either." At the mention of the unknown person the blond witch seemed to back down. She was going to turn back to Harry when the red head spoke again. "Amanda. Leave the boy alone. You're scaring him."

Huh. It was almost like this lady had read his mind because she was starting to scare him. One second she was happily spouting off his life story and the next she was scolding Malfoy. The switch from one extreme to another had thrown him. When Malfoy got his bearings back though he had half of the Gryffindor's snickering at his predicament. He still had yet to say a word.

When Harry looked back up to send a thank you nod towards the red head, he realized why they had looked familiar to him. All three of them had been in the battle with him. He had been a bit busy with his own fighting so he could not take especially long looks at his new comrades but he had caught glimpses.

As Amanda made her way back up to the front he sent that thank you nod and he received one in turn. He wondered what this year would bring in the same school as some of the people he had fought with. He had seen what they could do and he had respect for them. Not only did they have great abilities, they where excellent in hand-to-hand combat. That had been what had thrown the Deatheaters the most. They truly were exceptional people.

Seeming to known what he was thinking again, the red heads face shone as if in response. She nodded her head again to him and then turned back to the young fan girl witch and the burly bus driver. Harry knew he was going to have to figure out what mutant power extended to. If they all could read minds this might not be as wonderful of a year as he though. Maybe he should take up Occlumency again. So long as the teacher wasn't Snape then he may be able to learn it this time around.

Snapping back to the world of the bus Harry looked up to see everyone wide awake now and talking about the events that just passed. Most everybody on this bus loved to see Malfoy get laughed at. Harry felt a little bit sorry for him though. He had been nice compared to what he usually was. Hell, that was probably the first time he ever had said anything without sneering to Harry and he had been snapped at for it. Really what he said hadn't been that bad.

Harry leaned forward and spoke. "Hey Malfoy, you okay?"

"Of course Potter." He looked affronted from the question yet Harry saw he was feeling…embarrassed maybe? Harry knew this wasn't a feeling he was probably used to at all. "There is no reason for me not to be so go mind your own business."

Ah, the old Malfoy was back. Harry was half tempted to say something back but he knew that would only lead to a fight which would break any peace the two had found. And at the moment Malfoy wasn't going to be feeling all buddy buddy with anyone. He had just been made a fool in front of the entire Gryffindor house and this time around it was by a random girl, and without his entire house behind him. He was surrounded by people who had no qualms hating him and had hardly any more at showing it.

So instead of rising to the sneer Harry heard he decided to show it did matter. "Ok. I really don't understand why she went off like that. It does seem the only reason I lived was to be swallowed by my adoring fans." Maybe it was the humor in the statement and in Harry's voice or the words towards his new found fan but Harry could see on Malfoy's face that his ego now was a little less bruised.

Malfoy didn't say anything to Harry and merely turned around in his seat but Harry could tell he was over with his little fit. It he wasn't he would still be sneering and trying to get a rise out of Harry. So crisis averted. Harry looked up to see not Amanda but the red head staring at him. She seemed to see something again in him. Almost as though she saw that his comment was more than something to ease a fellow class mate. And true, Harry sometimes did think that was all he was there for. To be put in front of the public and cause everyone to smile and make them feel happy while he in turn felt nothing.

Harry looked back up and he knew now for sure that this woman could read minds. Just that look alone on her face was proof. Her eyes widened and mouth parted only the slightest bit. Horror. Though small and barely visible it could be seen to the ones who knew it. And Harry had learned it well in the war.

He turned away and started to think of things that were absolutely useless thoughts. Though in the back of his head he kept repeating to himself that he was going to, no matter what, learn Occlumency. There was no way he was going to be around people who could read minds and just let them. Of course he was also going to have to learn if it worked against their powers. Yes, he suddenly realized maybe this wouldn't be all that normal of a year as he thought. It would though without a doubt be interesting. Though whether for the better was still up in the air and Harry wasn't sure if he wanted it to come down or if he could handle it when it did.

They were on the bus for another few hours and by the time they reached to school it was in the darkest part of the night. When they reached the school though the grounds were bathed in the light of the full moon. It was almost as bright as day and the grounds seemed to glow to all the students' eyes. Well those who were awake. It was a stunning thing to see. The grounds where so impressive that even Malfoy, Harry noted, was awed.

Once the bus stopped all the students got off and followed their teachers sleepily. No one really paid any attention to the school that they were walking through. Harry absently thought Moody would be disappointed but spared no more thought to it. He also absently noticed that Ron was carrying Hermione. If he had been more awake he would have realized that it would have made for excellent blackmail material but he was practically a zombie. Neither him nor anyone else noticed where the teachers were ushering them to and later would not even remember how they got to their beds. In the morning they would come to meet the other students of the school. Oh how they would remember that meeting.

* * *

AN: Ok, to make clear exactly how many students there are: Each year has about 40 kids to it, which are then divided by 4 into the different houses. So, all together, each house has 70 students, thus bringing the total to around 280 students in a normal year. But the Slytherins only have about 43-45 student, so the total of Hogwarts students is about 255. Each year is a little give or take but that is my approximate guess and that is what I am using for this story.

EDITED: By Ryuus2


	4. Collision Course

A month and a half had already passed since the school year had begun and Harry had yet to see a single bit of the promised year he had hoped for. It had been horrible and in no way showed any signs of becoming better.

As he was sitting in the dinning hall at breakfast he could only wonder what went wrong. Looking about, he saw the mutants to one side of the room and the magical kids to the other. Not a single kid from either had made friends with the other. Amanda and her boyfriend were the only exceptions to this and were the only ones that would even talk to any of the magical students. But the rest glared and loathed them. Harry could still remember their first day here and what a nightmare it had turned out to be.

The morning after they arrived they all woke up in rooms that none of them could remember. At first many had thought that they were back at Hogwarts since they seemed to be the exact same. The soft comfy beds and the colors of their old houses were all there so it had been easy to believe. But when they left their common rooms they found themselves to be in a whole new place. Everything outside of their rooms emanated a posh expressionism and they found that this school was far from similar to Hogwarts. It had been thought with the rooms that the rest of the school would be quite like their last. They later found out that the rooms that they woke in were the same as the ones from their old school. It seemed none of the dorms had been destroyed in Voldemort's attack, which had made it very easy to make Magic-Me doors out of.

A Magic-Me door was a door which you could attach to any surface no matter where and poof, you have a room on the other side. You could buy a door with a room already attached to it and then make the adjustments later or you could take existing rooms and make them into a door. It seemed over the summer the professors had made every common room into one and with them also came the dorms. It was supposed to be hard to do multiple room Magic-Me doors but the professors had done a good job at it. Hermione still hadn't stopped talking about it to this day.

When they left their common room they had been escorted to the dining hall. It had been like first year all over again. They hadn't turned the Great Hall into a Magic-Me door but had seemed to blend it with another room. Now it was twice as big, yet the ceiling wasn't as tall. Instead of the cold stone it was dark polished wood under their feet and half way up the walls, the other half being the stone they knew. The long stained glass windows though had come with the other adjustments adding to the attitude of the room. It seemed a half mix of old medieval and modern posh. The ceiling though did not have the reflection of the outside sky which many noted mournfully.

When all were done with their evaluation of the room they looked to see the room was half full with children. These were the mutant children they were told about. Unlike them, they were dressed in casual clothes. Harry was not the only one who felt a little out of place in his school robes but soon dispersed his discomfort. All the magical children took their seats at some tables to one side of the room, opposite that of the mutants. There were no house tables and they all seemed to think this, though odd, might not be so bad. Only the Slytherins made any negative comments.

After a warm welcome from the head of the school Professor Xavier, a man who was in a wheel chair but had a warm and kind smile, food appeared on the tables just like how it did at Hogwarts. So it had seemed the house elves of their old school had not lost their jobs. With this new news, Hermione ranted through the entirety of breakfast with several mentions of a reappearance of S.P.E.W. Though Harry couldn't complain too much. She was the only one not conversing over speculations of the mutants. He himself didn't think it wise to assume anything, especially when he was sure a few could read minds, and from the reactions of some of them he could tell that some also had extremely good hearing. He cringed when he turned back to his friends. Ron especially was making a fool out of himself. Though Ron was a mighty chess player and strategist, he lacked that thing called tact. Though it also seemed none of his class mates had caught on to the fact that they might be overheard because of said peoples powers.

While this conversation was going on Harry took a look around the room and noted all the mutants and their energies. Some he found were very strong, like professor Xavier and the red head from the bus. Others were small, but every single one of them was different. Unlike witches and wizards who were only various shades of black and gray with a slight tinge of color, they were all different and vibrant colors and mixtures of feeling. Looking at all them was dizzying with his new sense and he had to block it quite soon. He was very happy that he had learned how soon after he found his new ability.

But as he had looked, there were a few that caught his eye. One of which was a young girl around his age. When he looked at her it seemed as though he was looking in a mirror. He almost got the sense that if he got to near that mirror power it would take on his own power. Even though the thought frightened him, when he looked at the girl herself he could only feel excited about the possibilities. All the mutants fascinated him and he couldn't wait until he could learn more about them but also hopefully find a few friends among them. With those thoughts he turned back to his friends and food.

After breakfast the teachers handed out the schedules as normal and then the students were led to there classrooms since no one knew where they were. For the rest of the morning things continued like a normal day of school for all of them. All their classes were in the same part of the school though, an interesting change from Hogwarts.

It turned out that their new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was none other than Malfoy Sr. Everyone had expected Snape to come back to the post since he was both alive and at the school but they had been surprised to find Mr. Malfoy waiting for them instead. Everyone in the class had been surprised, even Draco, and no one knew what to expect. They knew that he had been a spy but they didn't know if it would make a difference. They were pleased when they found their answers.

It turned out that he was a strict teacher but the cold and harshness they all knew him for was not going to be a part of the year, or at least not in his class. He was a fair teacher, even to Hermione. He was not like Snape who tried to scare them into learning. He actually taught what he was teaching much like Lupin had done; only there was not that friendly aspect to his teaching. Harry thought that this year might just be one of the better years in the class, though even he would not go as far as to say it would be fun. Though he had proved he wasn't the bastard everyone thought, he was he was still a Malfoy, and one whom they had for a professor for an entire year.

It was when lunch came around that they had their first collision with the other students of the school. Again the two sets of students had been separate in their placements in the hall, yet it was Neville who ended up having the courage to walk over to the other side and introduce himself to a group of mutants around his and Harry's age. One of them was the girl he noticed earlier. He had even sat down and started a conversation when a voice rang through the hall.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The entire hall fell silent and looked up to see a teen coming down the rows. He was, Harry noted, about their age and was walking towards the group of mutants Neville was now sitting with. He looked similar to Malfoy in a way, with the sneer on his face, only instead of platinum blond hair he had dark black hair that hung around his shoulders. He had a stride to him that put off pure arrogance and superiority. It seemed he was the mutant version of Malfoy.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Slytherin prince seemed to have noticed this fact as well. Harry wasn't able to read his expression accurately from where he was. He didn't know what he would do if he had to put up with another Malfoy pairing up with the one he already knew. Truce or not, if Malfoy saw an alliance that would work for him, he most likely wasn't about to turn it down.

Looking back up to what was going on, he saw the black haired mutant had stopped across from Neville but didn't look at him as he spoke to the mutants around him. "What are you doing?" He asked again and the kids only looked away or at him in confusion. When they didn't answer he only repeated his question yet again. When only silence met him he turned and started to address the whole mutant side of the hall.

"Why are they here? Why are they in our school? What I want to know is why we have to put up with these wizards?" He practically spit the words. "If everyone here will remember, they dragged us into a war that we had no part in. What would have happened if any of the X-Men or if even the Professor had been killed? We would have lost almost everything all because they-" he motioned towards the magical side of the room which he had yet to look at in his address. He almost gave off the impression they weren't worthy of being addressed in his attack, except without the almost. "-couldn't fix there own problems. They couldn't control a madman that came from their own society. It is because of them one of our own isn't here and you all know it! You all know they are the reason Harker is gone! And then when they get their own school blown up they invade ours. And just look at what they have done to our school. Now there is cold stone everywhere and our grounds have been maimed so that they will be _more at home here_. They have changed it to look like something out of a medieval painting! Why should we, whose home this is, allow them to be here when they destroyed their last one!? Why should we befriend them when all they have done is put our own kind in danger and forced themselves on us!?"

Through out this speech Harry got a good sense of this mutant's power. It was massively strong but as Harry watched it would waver in its strength. At certain points Harry saw that it would grow massively strong and at others grow almost silent, leaving only the bit of spark that indicated that he indeed was alive. He had seen it flare immensely at the mention of the mutant Harker. It was easy to tell that he had hardly any control of his power and that is was indeed strong. Those two together were not a good combination Harry thought to himself.

At the end of his speech the mutant turned to Neville and aimed all of his hatred at him. He was seething and Neville felt not only his but a majority of the mutants glare on him. This obviously was a widely believed idea, that they were nothing more than a problem forced upon them. And those who seemed not to believe in the boy's words only looked away. Neville, as brave as he was couldn't stay there any longer and got up and came back over to other side of the room to where his friends were. Harry saw that they were comforting him and noticed Luna especially was by his side.

Harry looked back over when he heard the one repulsive mutant about to start talking again; but he wasn't able to because his own professors had decided that they had had enough. They all looked outraged, and unlike what you'd expect, their ire was directed towards their own students.

"Enough Mr. Keller. You will be joining me in my office. Now." Professor Xavier said to the boy. Even with the calm in his voice it was not hard to tell he was angry. With these words Professor Xavier started to lead his student out of the hall. One of the professors, the bus driver, looked ready to tear someone apart. As Keller was led out of the hall though Harry could see that the actions of their teachers had little affect on the mutants. They were all still staring daggers at the wizards.

With a look around to his own friends and class mates he saw many of them were smashed. All of the Hogwarts students in fact, he found, looked quite dejected. They all had hoped for a good year. Every single one of them had been through a tough few years and this was their chance not only to have that wondrous year but also to hopefully come to find new friends. Now though they all seemed to hate them before they had had a chance to actually meet them; and, they all seemed firm in their opinions of them. With half of the school showing such scorn for them few believed that their year would ever be as they had hoped for.

Turning back to the hall and the events that were occurring he saw the mutant known as Keller being led toward the entrance to the hall. Even though he knew he was to be reprimanded he showed nothing but a firm smugness to him. He walked with pride in seeing that he had turned all his fellow students to his way of thinking.

Before Keller though could finally leave the hall the girl from the bus, Amanda, marched up to him and before the Professor could say or do anything she slapped him. The sound was the only thing heard at all throughout the hall. The boy himself was shocked and merely stared at her. She was seething and even though she was half way across the room Harry could see she was itching to pull out her wand. Her hand kept making jerks and she was clenching her fist. He recognized the signs from when he taught the D.A. and he could tell she was enormously close to hexing the kid.

"How dare you! How dare you use Harker as an excuse! I am this close to cursing you!" She held up her hand to show a tiny amount of space in between her fingers. It was so small that Harry really wasn't sure if there was any space in between them. "Why, if Harker were here you could bet you would be told off for your sheer stupidity. And you do happen to remember that I am a witch too! Should I be considered as forcing myself on all of you? What about the fact that the Professor himself was willing to help. Don't you think we should trust his judgment? I swear if you don't pull your head out of your ass I will shove something else up there with it!"

To emphasize her point she finally did pull out her wand to show him. She didn't point it at him but it could be seen that he got the point from how his eyes had widened to near comical proportions. It was clear from the look on Professor Xavier's face that he agreed with her words but he ended up pulling her along with them to his office. It would be later learned that the boy, who they later learned his first name was Julian, was given over a months worth of detention while Amanda only received two weeks for the language and the violence, one week for each offense.

Though, unfortunately it seemed no one had listened to her words and the whole mutant population hated them excluding the teachers and Amanda. The only reason her boyfriend Kurt had befriended them was because his girlfriend threatened to hex him along with Keller. He quickly became friends with Harry and his friend but he like the rest of the school thought they were the reason the mystery person known as Harker was not at school.

None of them though asked who this was. At one time Hermione had been brave and asked about them out of curiosity but the response was harsh. Kurt had to pull a mutant kid away who had been passing by and was trying to attack her. After that no one tried asking again.

Over time the hatred between the two groups only became two sided and more vicious. It seemed that their magic was affecting all the electronics in the mansion and everyone was upset about it. The mutants because they weren't able to watch as much TV as they wanted and play video games, and the wizards because they were now limited what they could do with their magic. They now could only us it in classes and their dorms. Outside of those they were forbidden to use it. It still leaked out though and had started to affect the main power to the building. There were times when the lights would flicker and there even had been a black out or two. All the professors had been trying to find a way to stop this but nothing had been found to help. They had tried to have Keller form a shield of some sort around the rooms but that would only work as long as he was there to support the shields and he didn't have the ability to hold the shields for more than a few minutes at a time. So that idea had been thrown out pretty quickly.

Around this time Draco had finally come around to ask Amanda who Impasse was. After some discussions after the final battle it was worked out by the trio and Draco that whoever it was had been the one to create the barriers that had saved many of them, Draco most of all. After the battle Draco had seen a person be brought in on a stretcher but he hadn't been able to get a good look at them. All anyone knew was that it was a mutant and that they had been badly hurt. It had been guessed that that might have been Impasse.

When the question had been posed to Amanda she seemed shocked that they knew the name. "Why do you want to know about Impasse?" There was a harshness to her voice that they seldom heard form the joyful blonde and they had been a little reluctant to answer.

It was Draco who answered, reluctantly. He and Blaise had taken up spots sitting with Harry and his friends. Draco was still not their friend and Blaise mainly kept to himself but it had been seen that they all could carry on conversations without the raising of wands or voices, and they really had nowhere else to sit. They may have not liked sitting with Gryffindors but they hated to sit with younger year Slytherins. The Gryffindors had been the lesser of two evils. "We were just wondering. I know he was the one who saved me and I suppose we had wanted to know who he was."

"'e?' It was Kurt had asked this. His accent was thick as he spoke, sometimes making it hard to understand.

"Yeah, when I was in the infirmary after the battle I saw them bring in a mutant. I had guessed that that was who he was. I hadn't been able to get a good look though."

"You saw a man in the infirmary that was a mutant?" Amanda asked. She had an odd smile on her face that none of the wizards understood.

"Yeah. They were really badly hurt and since there weren't that many mutants that were that injured I assumed…was I wrong?"

"No. That was Impasse. I just forgot for a moment. Yeah, that was _him_." She seemed to put an emphasis on the word him and was still smiling. Kurt besides her though was about to pass out because he was laughing so hard. Even Amanda seemed to have a hard time not following him. "What was your question again?" Now she couldn't hide the laughter but she still wasn't as bad as Kurt who was holding his gut.

"Who is he? I was guessing he was a student because he was very small." Something that was said seemed to sober up the two. Harry and the others were all wondering what was going on. There seemed to be a lot to this person that they didn't know.

"He was but he's not here right now. Everyone is kinda on edge about it. I doubt you will be able to get to meet him. He is quite a character." Something in this conversation seemed to sadden her. Harry and the rest had wanted to know more about the impressive mutant but decided to drop it for now. Amanda was sweet but if you pushed her she could become brutal. And with the fact that this was obviously a sore subject for her, they just couldn't bring themselves to ask any further.

There were a few people who though that Impasse may have been Harker but they didn't question it. After the first initial talks about the two it was never brought up again for the subjects were sore matters for their friends. And really, from how Amanda and Kurt reacted so differently from the questions about the two it was more likely that they weren't.

So that was how it had been for the last month and a half. The mutants and wizards had been embraced in a brutal prank war and neither side was ever hesitant to retaliate for something. Fred and George had been the backers for Harry and his friends and their products were always in high demand. Through all of this no feelings of friendship had been able to form at all, unsurprisingly. The teachers had taken it into a daily routine to lecture all on the foolishness of their actions and how they all had many things in common. These words fell on deaf ears.

Through all this Keller had yet to shut up about how they shouldn't be there, though he learned not to do it in hearing of the teachers and Amanda. Once when he had she had hexed him to where he was walking around with a tail and donkey ears for a week. No one lost the meaning in this. From then on he kept his comments to himself or to at least where Amanda could not find out about it.

So now here Harry was, sitting with Draco waiting for Hermione to show up to help him with an assignment due in a few days. She had been thrilled when she learned he was starting to take his studies seriously. Really, he just felt no reason to put it off until the last minute and was actually eager to learn what they were going to go over. He was a little stuck on a bit of the potions work and he wanted to understand it entirely. He had found he liked potions last year and even without Snape's old potions book Harry found he liked the subject and was relatively good at it. He only needed to study it with a little bit more attention and he would have whatever they were going over down pretty well. Nowhere near Hermione's level, but much better than in past years. Even Snape was surprised by this even though he never in a million years would admit it. But at the moment the potion they were told to research and study had him at a loss. He just didn't understand the point to the potion. Hermione was glad to be able to help him at any time now because he was showing such a wish to learn it.

He knew he would only get a few minutes with her before she had to rush off to her first class. She had decided to take a few muggle classes since nothing was really challenging her in her normal studies. She was only taking two though for she, and everyone who had to put up with her, did not want a repeat of third year. Harry knew if she were to take her N.E.W.T.'s now she would pass with flying colors and these classes were solely to challenge her. Even though all the students in the classes despised her, the teacher's were kind and she enjoyed them immensely. Harry was happy to see her in such a state. To see his friend happy and smiling and laughing was enough to make him forget the events of last year.

As he was waiting for her though he was starting to become impatient. He wanted to understand this potion. There was something about not being able to that was driving him up the wall.

Draco, who had been happy to just enjoy his breakfast finally gave in. Harry had been bobbing up and down for the last five minutes while reading one of his books. Every few seconds though he would look up at the door way and then at his watch. After an impatient grunt he went back to his book to start the whole process over again. Draco didn't really particularly want to but he wasn't going to get any peace this morning unless he stepped in now.

"All right Potter, I'll help you if only to get you to stay still!" Coming over to Harry's side he sat down and looked at the other boy. Never at any time in all the years that he had known Potter had he ever seen him this interested in anything other than quidditch, though it wasn't like he had ever cared either. "Ok, what is it you needed help with?"

Harry was shocked. Draco had been sitting with them since the start of the year but never had he ever had a conversation with any of them let alone start one off with the offer of help. Still a little stunned he pushed over his book towards the boy. "The one potion we are going over in class. The restriction potion. I simply don't get the purpose or reason for the potion. Even when going over the properties of the ingredients I can't figure it out."

"Hm. Well not growing up in our world it doesn't shock me. With this potion you can in a way bind, or restrict, a wizards power for a short time."

"But why would you have any reason to do that? I can't see why anyone would want to do that in the first place. I've seen people who believe they couldn't even survive without their magic." One of which was sitting right next to him. Draco seemed to get that he could be one of said people but didn't comment.

"That's why I said you wouldn't get it. Sometimes when a child is small their magic is uncontrollable. I'm referring to accidental magic, only on a much broader scale. It's been known for a child to hurt themselves or their family in a simple fit. With this potion you can bind their magic until they can control it well enough. They also use this potion on criminals. It's been known to happen for them to use random magic if they feel threatened enough. Say if they were to be given the dementor's kiss." Malfoy looked back up at Harry and saw he was still having a little bit of trouble with the concept. He searched around for a way to make it so the boy would understand.

"Ok, remember in the final battle when you used raw magic against Him? Well it been known for criminals who know they are going to be sent to Azkaban or given the dementor's kiss to do something along those lines. Not to such an extent but something similar. It's kind of like a survival mechanism."

Now Harry seemed to understand. Draco decided it had been wise to use him as an example he thought to himself. Although it really was different in Harry's case. In most cases people who use uncontrolled magic use just plain magic. Harry though had used raw magic. It was a rare thing to witness raw magic in one's life, let alone use it. It was supposed to be impossible to. No witch or wizard had ever in their history ever been able to wield it themselves without something to help control it. Raw magic would destroy ones body before it even got a chance to be used. Another thing that baffled most was the magic had come from Harry himself. What Voldemort had thrown at everyone and which had hit the school had been raw magic, but it had been magic he had collected over the course of years, since probably before his first up rise and had most likely never been stored in his body but in something he kept on himself at all times. No, he had collected it while Harry had produced it.

While Draco was lost in his thoughts, Harry was in his own. He thought back to what Draco had said about using magic as a last resort to save himself. He had never told anyone about the pain he had felt that was someone else's, not even Ron and Hermione. He didn't think he could explain it but he also didn't think it was his place to tell of another's pain. Since then he had yet to feel it again though and he wondered who it was that he had felt.

Leaving those thoughts he went back to his book, only this time he was also eating as well. Since he now understood it he no longer needed to spend all his attention to it. Draco wanted to laugh at him because Harry made a funny sight, scooping food into his mouth without so much as looking away from his book. Draco was going to move back to the other side of the table but instead Harry seemed to abandon his book and stated to talk to him. The two had never been friends so it was a little strained at first but soon the two found themselves so deeply involved in their conversation that neither noticed Hermione rush in and then out saying something about a test and a bit of last minute studying. For the first time since the two had met they were having a decent conversation, which was centered around potions. Draco would explain the one potion until Harry understood everything about it.

Harry and Draco were finishing their breakfast and still many had yet to even arrive at the hall. They both still had plenty of time before classes but they decided to take the Hermione route and study a bit before hand. As the two were beginning to get up they both saw someone walk though the doors to the hall that immediately stilled their motions and that of everyone in the hall.

For most it was because they were all in shock at seeing a face none of them knew. For Harry though it was for an entirely different reason.

The moment the girl entered the room his senses immediately spread out to see the new comer. He had expected to see some power that would indicate they were a mutant for he knew they weren't magical because he had never seen them before. What he did find though shocked him.

The girl who just came in had no energy to her, not even that which should have been there to keep her alive.

* * *

**Ok, here it is. I promise from now on no more monologue chapters. I know nothing much has happened in all I've written so far but with the arrival of the new character things will begin to pick up. As a bit of a heads up and a hint to what happens next chapter, Keller is going to get a good dressing-down. And Halloween is coming up in a few chapters!!**

**R/R! Hope you enjoyed.**

**EDITED: By Ryuu2**


	5. Enigma, That to Which Has No Answers

Panther73110:_ What do you mean old dead faces come back; do you mean James or Lily?_ Hehehe. Ah, when I wrote the summary I had in mind one certain person who was neither of those two and not Sirius either. However, I have found a way that I can bring back other characters. If you think that that will be something you want to see in this story tell me and I will see about it.

Oh, since it might have been confusing to any of you. Harry is not a Horacux. It has been awhile since I read the books and I forgot that little fact. Most of it though lines up with the books. Imagine six and seven merged and that is pretty much what happened before my story. Sorry if that was at all confusing. Therefore, if that was confusing but none of you have told me so I just kept going. Oh, and Dumbledore was never stupid enough to put on the ring so he is not going to die. Yeah, I really wanted to smack him when he did that in the book so he sure is not going to do that here.

* * *

It was not possible. As Harry watched the girl walk into the hall, he could feel no energy to her at all. Try as he might and as hard as he concentrated he couldn't sense a trace of anything. The only bit he could feel was coming from her wrist where he saw a tarnished silver bracelet. He recognized the magic on it as a glamour and a strong one but not something most would realize. Nevertheless, other then that was nothing at all. No energy, no power, nothing.

It was as if she was not living.

As Harry went to take a closer look at her, he noticed more about her than the lack of any life force. She was small, probably only about 5'4, maybe an inch more but nothing more than that. She looked like a child except when you looked at her face.

Harry had seen something but only in a few, all battle weary fighters. Moreover, truly, he had only seen it in the old fighters, the ones who had been there for the first war. For even though it had been bad the second time around, it was in the first war that many more were lost and many more horrors were seen.

So Harry wondered why this girl, this child for she could not have been more than fourteen would have such a look to her. In addition, on her face there was no emotion to be seen. Even when the slytherins had their masks on them they usually were only hiding behind a sneer or a cool expression. This girl showed nothing.

He watched her go to one of the tables, pick up a bottle of water, and then turn to leave. Not a word to any of the student who meekly said hello or acknowledgement to her even having heard them. Yet not a one of them seemed to find her lack of response as a bad thing, yet seemed to relish from it. The girl's cold shoulder to the room seemed to bring an almost cheerful air to the whispers of all the mutants.

It seemed almost all of the mutant side of the hall was in whispers about the new arrival he noted in the back of his head.

Watching her, he noticed she had taken a few steps away from the table before she turned to look towards the staff table. There was only Professor Xavier, Snape, and Malfoy Sr. sitting there and since he knew she knew neither of his Professors, he concluded her attention was for Xavier. As he watched he saw a silent conversation happening between them, he would almost say an argument except for neither looked angry. He only gathered this conclusion from the subtle changes on their faces. He would not have even have guessed if it had not been for those tiny changes which he knew most probably would not even see.

It was quite amusing he found, enough so that for a moment he forgot that she showed no signs of actually being alive in any sense.

He watched as she again walked back to the table and pick up a piece of toast. She raised it as in a show that she had taken it in a sort of mock salute and then continued out of the hall.

Then she was gone. The sudden enigma who had walked into the room and changed the entire atmosphere had just walked right on out. Looking towards Draco, he saw that he too was a more than a little baffled.

"Why do I have a feeling that this year has just gotten a bit more interesting." With Draco's words, he looked around the room and Harry followed his gaze. Every mutant was now whispering and chatting excitedly. He had never seen them this happy before. A month and a half and barely even a smile. In addition, when Harry saw all the magical students he saw that they too were chatting amiably.

He found he could not argue with Draco's statement. Looking around he saw the first real signs of life since they all had arrived. For the first time he saw his peers smiling and acting like they used to. He had no doubt in his mind that this would travel around fast even for Hogwarts standards.

With the mutants, it was almost they all let go of a breath they had been holding for a month and a half. They seemed more relaxed now and more like teens and children. For the entire time they had been here, the mutants had been one edge and they never could figure out why. It seemed they now knew, or at least a part of the reason for how could one girl have such an impact?

Turning back to Draco, he now was smiling despite the fact that this new student was such an enigma. He couldn't think of a single reason for any of the events that had happened since her arrival but figured he would find out later. "You know, I think you are actually right."

"Of course I am Potter. A Malfoy is always right." With his nose stuck up in the air like it was was too much for Harry and he started to laugh. Surprisingly Draco did not take any offence in the action but merely smirked at him.

"Come on Potter. We better be going or else we'll be late for Potions. You know how amusing Professor Snape will find that." That was all he stated while he started to stand up. Standing there, he tapped his foot impatiently, seeming to actually be waiting for Harry.

"Yeah, I suppose your right." Getting up he collected his books while thinking one last time about the new mystery girl. For some reason he knew that he was going to come to know her well soon.

Leaving the hall with Draco, they continued to talk about the restriction potion.

"Ok, I think I got it all Malfoy."

"Just making sure, since I think I have a feeling that there might be a quiz over it. Thought a bit of last minute review would help me." Draco may have said it was for him but Harry had a slight suspicion that he really was trying to make sure he understood it. Because there really was not a time when Draco _did not _understand something and he had proved that when he explain to Harry in great detail earlier.

"Oh, ok. Sure, just some last minute review for you. Alright, so the potion when mixed into the blood stream directly can cause massive problems including-" Suddenly Harry found himself to be on the ground and a little dazed. Looking up he found the one and only Julian Keller standing above him.

For some reason Keller had hated all magical people from the second they had arrived. But that reason was completely unknown to Harry, who he took a special interest in hating. Harry did not understand what Keller's problem was but he never seemed to tire of making life hell for him. Staring up at him, Harry knew now would be no different.

"Keller," He started to get up and to his surprise, Draco helped him. When he dusted himself off, he found that Keller was still there. He seemed to have something to say so Harry waited for it, knowing it was most likely just going to be yet another verbal attack. Over there time there he had gotten used to them but Draco did not seem to have the patience to wait for such a thing.

"Is there something you wanted Keller? You don't seem to have the manners to apologize so I really see no reason for you to still be here."

"Who are you to tell me where I should or shouldn't be? Anyway, if I had known you were two were fags I would have made sure I wouldn't have walked anywhere near you in the first place."

_What? _This was what was running through both of the boy's heads. "Excuse me?" Harry asked, truly confused.

"You heard me. I can't believe it. Not only did Xavier allow a bunch of freaks with wands into our school he let a bunch of queers as well." His sneer now would have on any other day and on any other person even made Draco proud. However, Keller's disdain for them extended to them all and Draco was never one to be kind after any offence to him.

Harry and Draco just looked at each other, letting what he said sink in. He thought that they….somehow were… they two… together? It sunk into the two at the exact same time for they both started to crack up laughing. Well, Draco was smirking and chuckling a bit but Harry was full blown gone into a laughing fit. He was laughing so hard that he could not stand on his own and had his hand on Draco's shoulder to keep him from falling. Neither of them were paying much attention to the boy in front of them.

Finally having enough of being ignored Keller decided he had enough. "And just what is so damn funny!"

Neither though could really answer him. Draco because he refused to talk to someone he thought beneath him and Harry cause he was having problems breathing. When he finally had enough breath to answer in a ways he said. "You… think…us…together… Never! Never even in a million years!"

Thinking over in his head exactly what was being implied Harry suddenly found himself shuddering. The thought of him and Malfoy, that alone was enough to make him want to hack up his breakfast. Moreover, the images going through his head were enough to make him want to gouge out his eyes.

Standing up strait now and being able to breath, he could properly address Keller. All traces of humour had vanished. "Seriously though Keller, neither of us are gay."

"Speak for yourself Potter. Just because you aren't doesn't mean the rest of the world isn't either."

"You? Huh, I could have sworn you were into girls."

"Well, I am. I just also happen to have a fondness for the male body as well you see."

"Let me guess. This fits in with you whole Malfoy motto doesn't it? 'A Malfoy get what he wants.' " A smirk was easily seen on the black haired boys face. It really did not surprise him that Draco swung both ways. The idea really did fit the whole Malfoy theme well. He was only shocked he had never heard of it before. They were Hogwarts students after all.

"Just proves to show how much of freaks you are. Your supposed nobles cannot even make up there minds about what they prefer. Pathetic, really." Keller sneered at them.

One thing Harry had learned over the years about Draco was to never say anything about his heritage unless you wanted a fight. It was the surest way to have him draw his wand and Keller had just done that. Whether or not he knew it, he was about to be hexed if someone did not stop Draco.

Before he could get even a syllable out though Kurt and a few of his friends came down the hall and stood in front of Draco and Harry to addressing Keller. There were three total and all were facing Keller and none of which looked happy.

Kurt himself looked furious. While at school there was no need for him to wear a hologram so at that moment he was in full blown blue mode. The first time Harry and the rest of them had seen him they had been shock and a little scared. They found though that most of the time he was nothing but a big softy. Now though he looked like the demon a few mistook him for.

"Julian, you aren't trying to start anything are you?" With they way they were standing they were completely blocking Keller but they could hear the sarcasm in his voice when he spoke.

"No way blue man. I was just having a chat with the resident wizards. Mostly talking about preferences in certain things. Nothing but a civil chat Kurt."

"Are you ever going to grow up Keller?" This was the big guy talking. Harry would have guessed he was about six and half feet tall. He thought mountain was a correct term to describe him. This was actually the first time Harry had ever heard the guy speak and he heard a harsh accent, Russian he would say. Not as bad as Kurt's was but still very strong.

"And why do I need to grow up? I haven't done anything."

"No, you've just acted like a big jerk is all. Yeah, I can see where that's nothin'." This was from the girl among them, the one with the power that resembled a mirror in a way. She too had an accent but Harry was having a hard time placing it. Her voice though sounded kind. She sounded kind. He noticed also that she had a white streak through her hair, almost as white as the one mutant professor who Hermione had. He wondered why she would choose such a look, or if it was a choice.

"Seriously though Julian, ya do know that she aint' goin to be happy righ'?" _She? _"Ya know she's going to give you a sound lashin' just for being rude, right?"

"Yeah well that's _if_ she comes back." Whoever they were talking about was making Julian very uncomfortable. He seemed almost to shy away when she had first been mentioned_._

Kurt and that others all looked at each other at Keller's comment. It wasn't hard to tell there was amusement on their faces and they weren't trying to hide it either. "Really? Vell, that may be happening sooner than you imagine Julian. I vould start to behave if I vere you."

"Whatever." As Keller retreated Kurt, the mountain and the girl turned towards Harry and Draco. As soon as Keller was around the corner they all started to break out if laughter. Though Harry and Draco didn't know what it was they were laughing about they seemed to be pulled in to it as well.

After a few seconds of laughing everyone straitened up and looked at each other. No one said anything for no one knew what to say. Harry and Draco knew Kurt's views on them but these two could hate them as much as the rest, regardless to whether they had stood up for them or not. It was Kurt who broke the silence.

"Tonight vill be very interesting indeed if you ask me."

"Why is that? Would this have anything to do with the girl who showed up at breakfast?" Draco's asked.

"You'll 'ave to vait and see."

Draco didn't comment at this but he did humph. He didn't like it when he didn't get his answers. Turning toward the two mutants he extended his hand. "Well, seeing as the blue fur ball does not have the manners to make an introduction, I find them left to myself to make. I am Draco Malfoy and this here is Harry Potter."

"It's a pleasure to meet you-" Harry felt it open for them to introduce themselves.

"Oh, I'm Rogue and this is Piotr Rasputin. It's a pleasure to meet ya two, too." She ended off awkwardly. She looked down sheepishly, trying to hide her blush.

"Our little southern bell, vhat vith all her eloquent manners." Kurt cooed.

"Hey!" The two began to chase each other around before they finally calmed down. Suddenly Kurt looked at his watch and then at the two wizards, a mix of dread and humour present.

"Um, I think you two might vant to get going. You're a bit late-" And before he could finish they were off leaving the trio behind them laughing yet again.

**oOo Hermione oOo**

_Uh, today is so irritating and just… sucks! _Hermione was angry. She had her first class of the day with the mutants and today they were more unruly than normal. Every single one of them were being completely noisy and completely annoying. There was something going on that everyone of them thought absolutely important, so important that they needed to yell and jump around like overly hyper children on a sugar rush. Truly, it was quite horrible and it didn't help that the teacher had yet to show up. Looking up at the clock she saw that the professor was indeed twenty minutes late. _Really, you would expect that of a student, but of a professor?_

And with that thought it seemed to be the cue for said teacher to show up. The door opened to reveal the teacher who was not amused by what she saw. Everyone at this promptly took their seats. No one was foolish enough to anger Ms. Munroe.

Seeing order return to her class room she stepped inside. Following her though through the door was a girl who wore a blank expression to her face. Hermione wondered if she was the cause for her classmates behaviour.

Without a word of explanation Ms. Munroe started to go off on explaining the test while the new student just sat down at an empty desk besides her. The test was handed out to everyone including the new girl. Hermione decided to forget about it until she was done with the test.

That though wasn't possible she found. Though she was focused only on her test she could tell almost the entire class was focused on something else. It seemed many forgot about the test in front of them and just stared at the new girl. She though, Hermione noticed, was paying no attention to this. Hermione only spared a few moments to this and then want back to the test in front of her.

Hermione did notice that the girl finished the test before anyone else, even before her. No one ever did that normally. She had finished only a minute before Hermione did but for someone who hadn't been here to learn it sure did make Hermione begin to think more about the new enigma of a student.

As soon as she had been done with the test the new student had proceeded to walk out of the class. The teacher said nothing to this and merely proceeded to watch over her students. After a few seconds after the leaving of the girl and when whispers began to form Ms. Munroe spoke. "Everyone, you only have fifteen minutes to finish your tests."

With the reminder everyone in the class began to hurry to finish what some Hermione knew had yet to even start. For the remainder of the time Hermione thought to herself and wondered what exactly had occurred. She came up with nothing and for once in her life was truly stumped.

**oOo Dinner Time oOo**

What had been only the mutant population that were excited about the new student had turned into the whole school being worked up. Everyone of the magical students were now wondering what the big deal was about her while the mutants were practically in a frenzy over it.

Almost the entire school was in the dinning hall when she arrived. If she noticed the while room staring at her she made to inclination of it and merely steered her way towards an empty table. The problem though was that the table she chose was on the magical side of the room.

Almost immediately people were getting up to make their way over to her. The first who would have reached her would have been Keller but a second before he had gotten to her a blur raced passed him and crashed into her. In between the squeals and rapid movements Harry was able to make out the form of Amanda hugging the new arrival to the point where he would have thought she would have turned blue by now.

"Your Back!!! Oh, I'm so happy! Oh god you never should have left. But now your back, your back, your BACK!!" She broke off into a fit of giggles but continued to hug her around the neck. Gently she untangle herself from Amanda. Amanda didn't seem though to find this to be disheartening and continued to smile. She was say something else but was cut off by Keller.

"Hey girl, long time no see. Why don't you join me and the others at our table?"

Harry who was only a table away was able to hear what was being said. When he looked at Amanda he could guess that that was what she was going to ask. She may not have been disheartened by this girls response to her actions seconds ago but now she was by this question. Harry guessed she thought the girl was going say yes. It seemed when he looked around that many thought the same. So that is why her response shocked all.

"I'm fine here Keller." She didn't even look up to address him. Amanda, who he guessed knew something they did not, came back to the table and watched with interested eyes. The enigma of a girl merely sat there looking up at the teachers table to where her attention had been found since Amanda had let her go.

Earlier in the day it was announced that there would be something told to the whole tonight and it had asked for everyone to attend dinner. Harry guessed that that was probably the only reason the girl was even there. She hadn't even touched or looked at the food, not that she really had been given a chance, and seemed to be waiting for the teachers to begin but they too seemed too interested in what was happening to interrupt.

Another thing that struck him was that he didn't even know the girls name, never once had he heard it mention. He wondered if maybe he would find the answer now.

"No, really, come on." He tried to gain her attention yet seemed unable. "We haven't seen you since that stupid battle and we all want to catch up. Come on, please?" Though it was only a hint it was easy to tell he was desperate for her to come. And battle, did he mean the final battle against Voldemort? Harry found himself angered that Keller would refer to the battle as though it were merely nothing important. Harry had fought in it, he had seen and knew people who hadbeen hurt, who had been killed in that battle. To have heard it called stupid in such a flippant tone made Harry's blood boil.

"No." Harker's words were cold and to anyone else would have brought an end to the conversation. They were hard and you didn't need to see her face to know that there was anger there but from where Harry was sitting he could. Her face though still mostly blank showed her eyes which had darkened. Keller though couldn't see this and was clueless to this little fact. He was angering her and was continuing to go on with it.

"Dammit Harker!" _Harker, wait, as in the one that ever mutant in the school was blaming them for the death of? As in the one that if ever mention always usually brought on a fight? That Harker? I thought he was a guy. _Harry became more interested and more confused with every word. "Would you for once just do what I ask! Things have changed since you left. Things are different. You haven't noticed but everyone around you now, right here is a magical person, a freak. Come over and sit with your own kind."

Silence. Not a single person in the whole hall was willing to make a single sound. The Hogwarts students because they were angered at his words and the mutant because the seemed to be waiting for something. It was weird and uncomfortable. Not only was it silent but still. No one it seemed even dare to take a breath, as though afraid of what could happen if they did.

And what did happen wasn't that big it turned out. Harker for a second did nothing and then when Keller was about to say something else she turned towards him. It was the first time she had done anything but look at the teachers since she sat down and the first time she had really acknowledged anyone. This combined with the look on her, no expression other that the coldness in her eyes, was enough to startle Keller. Even enough to scare him into taking a step backwards away from her.

And for a few seconds she merely looked at Keller. Then when she did talk there was no anger in her voice nor was it raised. It was merely as though she were telling him something he should know already.

"Keller, though you may be my own kind and though you see yourselves as in some way my friends, know that neither is enough for me to care about what you wish or what you think. I see nothing wrong with where I am at nor with the people surrounding me." There was a pause. "I would have thought you a better person Keller. Remember that to other people, non-mutants, we have been given that same title along with many others that are much worse. I would never have thought you to be one to think in such a cruel and harsh way."

Keller with every word only reddened more, both in embarrassment and in anger. When she finished her words she merely looked at him with the same expressionless look. Nothing in her demeanour had changed yet his had completely. When he opened his mouth to retort everyone present cringed knowing nothing he said would be pleasant.

"You, you… uh! How can you stand up for them!? If it weren't for them not being able to clean up their own messes you would never have been hurt. None of you would have had to of fought in a battle you had no place in! It's their fault that you were in a the hospital and you see nothing wrong with them!? Wake up Harker, you need to understand that with them here everyone is in danger and you-"

"Enough." With one almost silent word he was silenced. She had yet to show a single emotion and this scared Harry. Why would a girl, no older than fifteen, ever learn such a thing. And why ever was she aloud to fight in a battle. Nothing about any of this made sense. Too many whys without the answers to them were present and without the answers he wished for from the start conversation. All it had provided for him so far was more questions.

"Enough Keller. You say we had no part in the fight. Maybe we didn't, but that is not what is of importance here. They had a person, one of their own as you say, who thought themselves better than all non magical people and who would have done unknown things to all who fit that and who stood against him. What person do we know who fits that description? Magneto will, without at doubt, try to until they day he dies to dominate over those he defines beneath him, same thing to which Voldemort reached to accomplish. And who's to say that he would think us mutants on equal ground to _his kind_. What would have happened if we had not fought and they had lost. Soon their war would have reached us and we would have had no one to help us then. And if a day ever came when Magneto became to that point we would need help for, I feel glad to know that we could ask them the same which they asked us.

"And so you know, I chose to fight. I insisted on going and for that I will never apologize to you or to anyone.

"I see no difference between them and yourself Keller. Mere children, ones who have seen battles yet still retain their youth. I see no reason for such a separation to which you have found needed. Now if you will, I believe our professors have an announcement to make." And with that the conversation was ended. She merely turned back towards the teachers who chose then to step in. When Keller tried to speak professor Xavier voice sounded out.

"If you would take your seat now Mr. Keller." Seeing that the was nothing else he could do, he simply walked across the room to sit down. "Now that everyone has a seat I have something to tell you all. In about two weeks time Halloween is coming up and there will be held a dance-"

Xavier could not continue for he was stopped by all the noise suddenly in the room. It was like a bomb had gone off. Every person in the hall immediately started to talk to their neighbours about this or that. Even though ever word was in whispers the hall seemed filled with thunder. Beside Harry, Hermione and Ron where talking in whispers about it too. Well, more like arguing. Hermione was wanting something historical for their costumes but Ron wanted nothing to do with it. Harry laughed softly at this. It was good to see his friends could still have such a spirit to them even after all they had seen. After last year they deserved this more than anyone else he could think of.

Looking around he was somewhat amazed. All around people were cheerfully talking and really it was the first time the entire school, mutant and magical were all… at peace. It was the first time that something had swept over the whole school and taken everyone. He thought that even though he still shuttered at thoughts of the Yule Ball that this was probably a good thing, just the thing that everyone would need to finally move past all the stuff that had made friendship between the two groups impossible. That maybe this was what was needed to finally pass the impasse they had found themselves at.

"Now," Harry and everyone turned back to Professor Xavier. It seemed he had more to announce. "while you make all go as whatever you want so long as it is appropriate, there will be a voluntary contest being held. As a way to try and build a friendship amongst the students we, the professors of all the students here, came up with the idea for this competition." At this various people looked at both Snape and Summers. Both were the resident hard-ass teachers of the school. No one could really see either helping in any plans for a dance other than the restrictions.

"For it you will have to have a costume that display's someone or something of the other group of students. Mutant will dress as magical and magical will have to dress as mutant. The one with the best costume will win a week off from their studies with a group of friends to be spent in the city, all expenses paid for."

This time when all the silence was broken it was with a roar of conversation. Looking around there wasn't a person who wasn't talking about the dance or the contest. Looking at his friends, Harry saw Hermione had now dropped her previous idea and for this it was easy to tall Ron was relieved. This time Xavier did not call forth their attention again and the room soon became filled with the sounds of chatter and of room being engulfed.

While looking around Harry saw that while his friends were eating and laughing, Harker was not at her table anymore. Looking around he was able to see her leaving the dinning hall for a second and then she was gone. Looking back he noticed none of the food on the table had been touched at all.

Amanda, seeing him looking were he was started to speak. "You know, now that she's back I doubt that you'll have much more trouble around here."

"Why is that?" Hermione asked. She seemed to be drawn away from talks of costumes to discuss the enigma she had yet to figure out. "I mean yes, she did tell Keller off but why would that make any difference?"

"Cause," Kurt leaned across the table. "now that she is 'ere everyone can relax."

"I'm not getting it. Why would one girl being here or not make any difference?"

Amanda now took the reigns yet she seemed hesitant to do so. "Because Harker has been here longer than almost anyone else. Most people who think of this place as home associate it with her in some ways. Being here while she isn't, afraid she might not come back, had a lot around here scared. They all blamed you."

"Why would it be our fault. I mean she fought yes but-"

"When she did though she was badly hurt. So much she was in the hospital for a month in a coma. We all thought she was going to die. Imagine if your Dumbledore almost died or if someone who was important to you. You would blame anyone who had anything to do with it. And then two seconds after she woke up she left without a word to anyone and everyone thought it was so she could be somewhere quiet when she died. That is why they blamed you. Now that she's back, everyone can stop worrying."

"And as to vhy they listen to 'er is because she never talks. Vhen she does talk you tend listen. To 'ear she was mad at Keller because of 'ow 'e vas acting towards you vill make everyone rethink there actions. And now everyone can feel safe vhile being 'ere again."

"Safe?"

"Yes. Remember in that battle how there were these shields that kept most of you from getting hurt." They all nodded. "Well, the person who made those just walked out the doors."

With that everyone looked at the doors as though to will Harker to reappear. Going through many of their heads were thoughts of it couldn't be and not possible. Yet when they went to ask Amanda and Kurt for the truth the two merely smirked at them, a trait they seemed to of learned from Draco, and went back to their food leaving them to think what they wanted though many knew it to be the truth.

While they were talking about this, they trying to coax more answers out of the two Piotr and Rogue who had joined them. They asked and asked but were having no more luck. As this was taking place, up at the head table the teachers were having thier own conversation.

"I do believe that this dance will do just as planned. You can already see some changes amongst the students." And in fact there were several people who had crossed the room to talk to others, though tentatively. One group though stood out most, that of the group who had composed of three mutants who seemed to be there for entirely different reasons other than a dance. One of which had been there the entire year and was blue.

"Yes, of course. But that also maybe contributed to your students words earlier perhaps?" Dumbledore asked. This caught the interest of many of the other teachers, mainly though that of the elder Malfoy. And when Snape saw his old friend so interested his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Yes, she may have helped a little to push away the dislike I'll admit." A small smile was playing on Xavier's face as he said this. It was easy to tell he was fond of his student.

"It also could be that she made her little seen in front of the whole entire school." Summers voiced sounded out. Though he was usually strict his words weren't overly so now.

"May I be aloud to enquire about this student. She seems to be quite the character. Why is it that she only now appeared for her schooling." Malfoy asked. Now Dumbledore seemed to notice his interest as well.

"She is a character to be sure. As to why she appeared only now, I could not tell you. I was shocked to see her last night, just standing there, waiting for me. If she had not come to find me to inform of her return I would have not known until this morning once she walked into the dinning hall. Harker is one of the mysteries of the world I believe will never be answered."

"What though is her full name, may I ask. I don't believe I have heard it mention and I assumed that when the boy addressed her as Harker that was her first name but seeing you use it-" Snape left off there. Though Xavier did seem familiar with her he could not see the man calling her by her given name. He asked trying to find if maybe she came from a family Lucius may know or have known.

At the question though Xavier merely smiled as did the rest of the mutant staff, though everyone besides Xavier seemed a little sad at it. "I wish I could answer your question but truly, there is no answer. The only name any of us know her by is Harker. Anything before she came here is a complete mystery to everyone, including that of her name."

"Can you not just simply take a look and see? I thought you had the ability to look within a persons mind at will." Malfoy asked, annoyed by how little information he was being told. This only furthered Snape's confusion as to his friend's motive for his questions.

"I can not. I would never trespass within the mind of one of my students unless needed. But even if I wanted to I would never be able to. Part of her power in being able to create shields is that she can create them around her mind as well. I have never been able to push past them before."

"What of this morning-"

"She had aloud me in. Anyway, Harker is an interesting topic but I believe we should move on to that of another. Now, this dance." And with that he began going over the details of the dance, leaving a very perturbed Malfoy to wonder. Shortly after Malfoy excused himself and continued to leave the hall. Snape meanwhile was pondering what was happening. Why would one mutant girl, who looked hardly the age of a teenager matter to one such as Lucius, a pureblood wizard who thought all who were not of the same status beneath him. Truly, Snape himself was finding her to be the enigma that his students had thought of as before. But he wasn't a Slytherine and former spy for nothing. He had already started to from plans to find out his questions.

**

* * *

**

**OK, whew. Sorry that took so long but I was having a lot of trouble figuring out where this chapter was going and truly this was way longer than I wanted with more about Harker than I had ever planned about her introduction, but since I don't want to rewrite it or edited, again, this is what I am putting up there. Hope you enjoy and please review.**


	6. Hunts for Dates

AN: Ok everyone, just to let you know this chapter was going to be twice as long but I ended up cutting it in half. The rest/now new chapter should be out either tonight or in the next day or so. I just have a few bits to add and then some editing.

Now, hehe, I saw the new X-Men movie and boy, did that give me some things to work with. I've stated before that this story is kind of a mix between the movies, comic, shows, and everything else. Anything I use in here is stuff I've picked up over the years or found on the internet when looking up things for this story. But back the Origins. Yeah, that really, really helped. In a few chapters you'll all know why but I'll leave that for then. Lets just say the dance chapter is going to have an interesting ending.

Calling out for an beta who would be willing to edit my story. I really could have been doing this story so much better but I've said before this is my first story so if anyone is interested let me know.

._primaaryet: Interesting…_, ….um…enlightening?? Really, I have no idea how to respond to that but I give much thanks that you did review. Just, one word…yeah. But thanks!

_Yumi2482: wow…_YEAH!!!!!! Yes, a one word response but one I can answer! Believe me, this might have started off slow but it is only going to get better. It will be after the Halloween dance that things will start to become more…interesting. Thanks again for the reviews guys!

* * *

The days following the announcement of the dance were…hectic, to say the least. Everyone was running around, thinking of trying to find dates, finding costumes along with sports and piling up of school works all around. It seemed also since that night that all rivalries were forgotten and put aside. As odd as some thought it was, no one was going to raise anything up about it because it truly was nice having some peace. At the words of Harker the mutants had dispelled their anger and the magical had decided it wasn't worth it to keep the anger that would do none of them any good. There were a few quarrels here and there but nothing compared to before.

For Harry, the thing occupying his mind was the first quidditch game was coming up merely a week after the dance. Gryffindor against Slytherin. While Harry was the captain of his team (which had taken three days of tryouts to finally come about) and was ready, their opponents were not.

Draco was the captain of his team and had been finding it absolutely impossible to find players who were suitable to even be on a broom. Now two weeks before their game he had his team but was finding the task of preparing them dreadfully horrid. It was in the stands on the quidditch pitch Harry found him, looking about ready to throw himself over the side.

Walking up quietly Harry took a seat by his once rival. He found it almost comical to think that they now could almost call themselves friends. The two had even started to call one another by their given names. Well, Harry did and Draco would only at times, usually with long intervals in between and when no one was around. They still fought often but it lacked the hatred they had known from one another for years.

"You look about ready to through yourself over the edge there Draco."

"Bloody hell Potter, this is all a bloody mess. What am I going to do? My team couldn't catch a snitch if a damn dragon was chasing them!" He was frustrated. Not only did his team comprise mostly of third and fourth years, they were all scared to death of their own shadow. But they were the only ones he was getting. Harry cringed at the thought. Some of them still really, really should not have been let near a broom.

"Well, you still have two weeks. Show them what a bastard you can be and I'm sure you can scare them into being better." There was laughter there. He was trying to lighten the mood a bit and get Draco to calm down and relax. Unfortunately, it had the opposite affect for Draco ended up rounding on him.

"Christ Potter! You make it sound like you want me to go Dark Lord on them or something." Though he had started off mad at the end he had a smirk on his face. Not being able to hold it, either of them, they both started to laugh. Their laughter echoed across the field, sounding clear.

When both had come out of their laughter Harry, still smiling, said. "I have seen your team play. To be honest they don't have a chance. "

"Spying are we Potter?"

"No, just easy to see from the school." It was true. He hadn't been spying but from where they placed the common room it gave a perfect view of the pitch. "But like I said, your chasers would need to enlarge the ball to be as big as a common room to catch it, your beaters have no aim and your keeper, well-"

"What about my keeper Potter?"

"Well, he's not bad but you'll have a hard time having all your goals guarded. Who ever he is he stays usually in one place, usually to the far right or far left. Who is he by the way? They way your acting you would think you were trying to surprise everyone by who you picked. I don't think I know who anyone other than you is on your team."

"Well it is suppose to be a surprise so you'll have to wait like everyone else." A smirking Draco was never a good thing and right now he was. Harry guessed that even if his team was nothing to cheer for that Draco might have had something up his sleeve.

"Fine, now lets go inside. It should be time for lunch soon."

Making their way done the pitch and into the school was a quiet walk. One of the things that Harry liked about being friends with Draco was that he didn't talk all the time. Ron was his best friend and mate and almost like a brother but, he never learned to shut up. He talked and talked all the time and never knew when to let things be as they are. It was nice to have a change in company from constant chatter to quietness.

When they entered the dinning hall though Harry asked a question he had been wondering for a week. "So the dance is a week away. Do you have any ideas as to what your going as?" To be honest he didn't even know. He was hoping Draco might be able to give him some inspiration.

"Truly?" Harry nodded. "No. In fact, I think I might just skip it" He stated as he was sitting down at the usual table.

This though, was the wrong thing to mention at that moment for everyone else in there group chosen then to show up. Within the last week they all had met a large majority of the mutants around their age. Along with Poitr was a kid named James Mardox who was the same age, which was a year older than Harry. Being their last year they seemed to be the ones usually calling the shots. James' power was being able to make copies of himself, so many he could be in at least two dozen places at the same time if he wanted.

Looking around to see who else was there he saw Amanda and Kurt and Hermoine and Ron. Dean and Parvarti were there. Seamus was standing at the end of the table mooching off of anyone near enough's plate. Then there was Samuel Guthrie. He could put enough energy in his legs and arms to be as fast and strong as a cannonball. He had a few siblings in the school as well but Harry and the rest had yet to meet them.

"You can't skip the dance!" Shouted Kitty. She was a small girl who was a year younger than them. The first time they had met her she had been so excited to meet them that when she went to shake their hands hers fazed right through theirs. She hadn't even notice, but they had. They got used to the young girls enthusiasm which sometimes had her falling through her seat, or table, or people. But the biggest shock was when they learned that she, this tiny girl who was a year younger than them, was going out with Piotr. While he was huge and quiet she was small and as loud as one of Fred and George's pranks. Though the two were polar opposites and really hard to imagine together when they weren't righ tby one another. It was easy to see why they were though when they were.

"Watch me. There really is no reason to go."

"Yeah, I think I might not as well. I don't really have anything I could use for a costume so…" Harry left it there but really he didn't have a date and after the Yule Ball he really didn't think he could ever do anything like it again. Hermione he saw though seemed to have a knowledgeable look on her face.

"Harry, are you sure that is the only reason you don't want to go? No costume?"

"Hermione-"

"Harry, you can't skip this just because the last one was a disaster."

"Vhat last one? Vhat 'appened?" Kurt asked.

"Well, it happened in our fourth year. Harry was one of the champions in a tournament our school was hosting and so he and the other champions had to lead the opening to our winter dance. After that though he sat out the rest of the time. His date ended up going off to be with someone who actually wanted to be there."

"Yeah and that was a right blast." Called Parvarti. Harry ducked at this. Though he hated the dance he felt a little bad for simple doing nothing the whole time with his date.

"And I don't want to go this time either Hermione." Harry answered. Looking up at Parvarti he saw she was merely smiled at him. She might have found him to suck as a date but she seemed to always find that night to be very funny for some reason he couldn't fathom.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with actually trying to find a date would it?" Amanda asked. For someone he only met two months ago she seemed to always know what he was thinking. In truth that was another and really the main reason. Not only had the dance been excruciating last time but the time leading up to it, trying to find a date, had been a nightmare. He found girls always seemed to travel in packs and had made it almost impossible to actually ask one of them out.

"Hey, Draco isn't going either. Why don't you bug him?"

"Oh, no. That is where your wrong Harry. He is going. Both of you are. We just need to find you dates and costumes. No problem." Kitty said.

"No-""Not happening-" They answered but were cut off.

"Your going. Deal with it. Now I think we need to go hunting for you. I need you to tell me what are your preferences, likes and dislikes, just friends or more, everything. We have a lot to do." Amanda listed off what was needed and Kitty and Hermione nodded. They looked like they were on a mission. Taking no heed to the two's words they continued to go over everything, planning and making suggestions. They had asked at first for preferences on things but then discarded their input. The two finally had enough when they had started to make a list of promising dates.

"Enough!" Draco shouted. "Enough, you will not under any circumstance choose who we are to take to the dance! I absolutely forbid it."

It was Hermione who seemed to be the voice of reason now. In all actuality it shocked Harry that she only now decided to actually start to act sane. "They're right. They should at least be aloud to choose who they are going with. I say we give them, a day? Yes, they have twenty-four hours until they surrender that duty to us."

Dumbfounded. She was series. Hermione, the level headed one of the golden trio, the know-it-all who would never brake a rule had gone dark side. Boy had he ever found some of the things in Star Wars to be more true than at that moment. Looking up Harry found Draco looking on in a way akin to what he though himself to look like. Turning back to her they could only stare.

"Well you heard her. I would get looking or else it's our choice boys." Though she had the voice of an innocent child, never had Harry heard anyone sound so devious. Sweet innocent Amanda had joined in. Looking at Kitty they saw she didn't even have the decency to look a bit ashamed. It was mutiny!

With a look shared between the two they both took off. While Harry tried to think of someone to ask, Draco knew exactly who he planned on asking. He set off to find her. Asking a few mutants along the way he heard she was most likely outside, but also said that if he was to find her to leave her alone. Taking no heed to their warnings, he headed out to where most suggested to look, out he walked into the court yard. Taking a look around he saw her sitting beneath a tree, looking off away from him.

For late October he found that a chill had set in. Being used to much colder weather he thought nothing of it nor the wind blowing through that added to it, but he did think about the girl he was trying to find. He didn't want her to be cold. It was an odd sensation that. He seemed to worry for her. Never had he before for any of his other relationships and he had yet to even have one with her. Shaking his head, he walked over to her. He found though she was actually asleep, to the side a book she must have dropped.

It was amazing, the difference between her now and when she was awake. The few times he had seen her he would almost say she was haunted. She carried a look to her that almost reminded him of the other children of Death Eaters. With them they were always scared, though they hid it well, while she simple showed nothing. He had to wonder if she was merely hiding under a mask or if she simple just didn't actually feel anything. That was part of the reason he wanted to become closer to her, to figure out the mysterious puzzle of the which was known as Harker. If she was hiding, then he planned to brake the mask to see what was truly there and if there was nothing, well, he planned to change that.

Looking at her now though, she was so peaceful. Her black hair, which usually was up in some form of bun, had fallen down and he could now see how long it was. From what he saw he would guess it reached almost down to her waist. She looked so much less sever now, almost innocent. And she didn't have any tension running through her. She simply looked like a child.

Taking another step towards her he went to wake her up though when his hand was still a few feet away it came across some kind of barrier. So this was one of her shields. It was the first time other than the final battle that he encountered one of them, and then he really hadn't been paying attention to the shield but what had been hitting it. With his touch he saw a sort of ripple ring across it then smooth to where he couldn't see it again. Thinking about how to wake her up he missed it when she first opened her eyes.

He did notice though when they just started to stare at him, two brillient emerald green eyes. And that was all she did too. Stare at him. It seemed a silent demand for him to tell her what exactly he was doing.

If he were anyone besides a Malfoy he would have been fidgeting under her gaze to be sure. "Hello Miss Harker. I don't believe we have been given the chance for a proper introduction. I am Draco Malfoy." And to this he held out his hand.

And to that she did utterly nothing.

Not one to be discouraged he continued on. "I was hoping on my venture out here that I would be able to attain the pleasure of you accepting my invitation to the Halloween dance this weekend? Would you do me the honor of being my date." She was still sitting there, gazing up at the half kneeling boy in front of her. There wasn't an ounce of nervousness that she would say no. Draco had not once been turned down and he truly believed there was absolutely no reason for him to be. So he was also absolutely sure she would say yes almost immediately.

And she did answer immediately, without a seconds hesitation actually; only, it wasn't the answer he was expecting. "No."

"Oh, I think you might have heard me wrong." _Or course she did. There would be no other reason for such a quick and obviously wrong answer. _"I was asking you if you wanted to go to the Halloween dance with me."

For a second she merely looked at him. Then in a clear voice while staring him in the eyes she repeated her earlier answer. "No." Standing up, she picked up her book and then started to walk away. It took a few seconds for Draco to realize this, he seemed to be in a state of shock.

When he did snap out of it he ran up to her and stopped in front of her, preventing her from continuing. "Wow, I have never once in my life been turned down. I never would have thought you to be one to play hard to get but things seem to be different whenever concerning you. So I'll ask again, would you please" _I can't believe I actually said please. _"go to the dance with me?"

Pause. "Like I said now twice. No." And with that she began to walk away en route of going around him. Becoming desperate and really not understanding the meaning of no, he grabbed her arm. This turned out to be a not so smart idea.

The next thing he knew he was on the ground, the breath knocked out of him and watching what appeared to be an upside down Harker walking away. If he hadn't been so confused, with a hint of amusement, he would have been wondering how a girl of 5'4 would have been able to do what she just did.

Since he was on his back, he was unable to see the few pairs of eyes that had watched the whole thing.

.........oOo...........................................................................................................................

The next day Harry was hiding out in the library. One from Hermione and the others who decided to take in upon themselves to reach the goal of their mission, no matter the cost. The three had gone so far as to try and pick for his costume a knights armor. There had even been a wig to go along with it. He had a sneaky suspicion that they had already started their hunt for a date and found one who had asked for it.

But there was another reason. Harry had decided a week ago that he had to tell his friends about his new, developments. Since the day Harker walked in to the dinning hall he knew he had to. He was at a loss as to what it could mean and if anyone could help to figure it out then that was Hermione. And he wanted to hear Ron make a joke or something to help lighten up what he found to be tiresome. He needed his friends to understand.

Harry was interrupted from his thoughts when he sensed someone coming towards him. Before he even had to look up he knew it was Rogue. Nevertheless he did look up, I would do no good to freak her out. Turning he saw she had a pile of books, one to which her head was in. She didn't even notice that the table she was sitting at was occupied.

Whatever it was that she was reading seemed to have been frustrating her. For a few minutes all she would do is huff and then a groan and then silence. This was repeated until she grew so frustrated she shouted, slammed the book closed and then buried her head in her hands. After a few seconds she looked up, shocked when she found she wasn't so alone.

"How long have ya be there?"

"Oh, about a half hour, before you got here." He smiled at the look of embarrassment on her face. She was kinda cut when she was blushing. The white streak in her hair helped to bring in out more. "You know you shouldn't take your frustrations out on poor books. It's not their fault."

"Yeah it is. If they were simply written to where a person could understand them then there wouldn't be a problem." She smirked at him.

"Yeah, well it's not their fault they're written by inconsiderate people. Anyway, what are you looking up that has got you all frustrated?"

"Just something for class. Nothing a wizard could help a muggle with." Harry cringed at this. It had only been a week ago that everyone still was fighting with one another. Though he was sure she hadn't meant to make him feel uncomfortable she did.

"Why don't we see about that." Harry then proceeded to move to the other side of the table and for the next hour they worked on translating the mystery of advanced chemistry into something that might have made sense. Needless to say, they didn't get too far.

"Maybe I should go, I really don't think I've done anything to help you at all."

"No, I'm alright. Though I still don't understand a lick of it, it was fun hanging out with someone. Kinda really haven't in a while." She looked sad at her statement. When he thought about it he noticed that most of the time she was off by herself. There were only a few times he could recall were he actually saw her talking with another mutant and those were rare. While she sometimes sat with his group and talked a bit she never really got to close to anyone. He wondered exactly why someone like her, a nice and seemingly interesting person, would tend to keep away from people.

"Why's that?"

"Well-" Before she could explain though they were cut of by the arrival of Hermione, Amanda and Kitty.

"So this is where you've been hiding Harry. You do know that your time limit has run up now." Amanda stated. Rogue looked at his quizzically. Harry though looked at the clock and noticed with horror that it was past lunch time. His day was up.

"No, no, no. Come one, one more day. Please Hermione just one more day." He wasn't above begging. He had yet to even be able to think about who to ask. _This isn't good, this so is not good._

"Nope, you and Draco were given one day and it's up. Now, what are your preferences for a date? We need to know so we can find the perfect one. Though it's going to be a little slim from who's out there but we'll find someone." Kitty prattled on.

Harry groaned. He didn't even want to go to the stupid dance and here he was though with no other options. He knew Hermione too well to think she would ever let him off. And from what he could tell Amanda and Kitty weren't any better.

Looking up he saw that Rogue was confused. "They insist on me going to the dance and if I have to go to the dance then I must have date. Draco and I were given a day to find someone but I never could think of someone to ask."

"Why do have to go? It's no mandatory."

"Because he HAS to go! There is no way and no reason for him not to."

"You can't force someone to do something Amanda just 'cause you want to see them dress up. Here I thought you had a boyfriend for such things or are ya maybe looking else where now that there are wizards here?" In her implications Amanda was furious. It was easy to see the two had never gotten along. While Rogue looked annoyed at her, Amanda looked ready to throttle the southerner.

Hermione though had a look on her face as though she found out something that others still hadn't. Harry had seen this a number of times before, but before he could ask she started to pull on Amanda's and Kitty's arms, leading them away and out of the library. Right as she was about to go through the doors though she turned to Harry and said. "You have until dinner. By then we will have chosen someone if you haven't." Then she and her two devil's advocate were gone.

Then next thing Rogue knew was the sound of a loud and heavy thunk against the table. Looking over she saw that it had been Harry. On the inside she thought it was kinda cute but she wasn't going to admit it. At least not when out loud or when there happened to be a mind readers around. She felt sorry for the predicament he was in, she hated dances as well and there wasn't anything that could be done to ever make her go to one. At least she wasn't being forced like Harry.

"So, to get my mind off the inevitable, who are you going with?"

Startled, Rogue at first didn't know what to say. If you thought about what he said you could think he was asking her out but then when she looked at him she saw only curiousness. He was only asking cause he really wanted to know.

"No one. I'm not going."

"What! Why?

"No one to go with. People usually stay away so…"

"Why is that?"

She paused. "My power. With one touch I can take other mutants powers and memories. If I hold on too long I can kill 'em. Tends to make people a little scared to be around ya know. I won't go to the dance cause I'd just end up standin' there doing nothin' the whole night so what's the point?" There was a hint of longing in her voice. It was easy to tell she wanted to go but when she explained what would happen it was easy to see why she would forgo the whole thing.

Now with the explanation of her power it made sense how her power looked to him. A mirror that with a touch could take on the same. He now understood her a lot better. Though Poitr and Kurt talked to her they were the only ones. He could understand how that felt, that isolation that kept you from most except those few who really cared. Thinking about it, the two of them had a lot in common.

A sudden idea hit his mind. She saw that click and wondered what she said. He sat up straighter in his chair and turned to face her fully. "Rogue, would you like to go to the dance with me?"

"What!!"

"Just as friends, but you seem to have the same problem as I do with these things. At the last one I danced one dance and sat the entire time. If you were with me though at least we could keep each other company."

"You have friends that could do that."

"All of whom have dates. Come on. We'll have fun, sipping punch, making fun of Keller. I'll even throw in a dance or two if you wish."

"I can't-"

"You said if you touch them right." Nod. "I'm guessing that means direct contact. We'll just have to find you a costume that comes with gloves. Come on, you'll be saving me from Amanda's choice of a date and this way I'll at least enjoy being there. Please?"

After a moment. "Ok, but just as friends. Hey, how about we keep it a secret until the dance. If they knew-"

"I still wouldn't care." He picked up on the fact she was scared they would talk him out of it and no matter what anyone said she was who he asked and she was who he was going with and he told her so in those exact words. Once said she was less tense and actually looked like she would enjoy this, but there was still a little bit there.

"But… could you imagine the look on everyone's face when they find out, if we wait."

"It would shock everyone." He really didn't want to draw the attention but she still seemed a little withdrawn from telling everyone so he agreed. They left it off there and decided they didn't really need to match their costumes like a couple would. So they made plans to meet up at the doors to the gym, leaving the library they both went separate ways.


	7. Freak Out

AN: HEY, over 3,000 hits to my story!! This is like my day being made. As you all can guess I am easily amused and entertained but that is an awesome bit for me so I'll keep with the happiness.

* * *

After his talk with Rogue, Harry went to the commons room to tell Hermione he found a date and to end the little sport she and her to cohorts had begun. How he was going to draw away from the fact that he had been with Rogue though and then suddenly had a mystery date he really didn't know. Once he got to the commons he decided maybe he should wait a little while before he said anything so it wouldn't be so obvious. When he saw Hermione in there though in a corner with books all around, looking as though she were waiting for him, that idea went strait out the window.

Walking over to the corner she was in her saw that it was a bit away from everyone else. Sitting down he greeted her. "Hey Hermione. So what's up with you?"

"Oh nothing, just going over who would end up working real well as a date for you. You wouldn't believe how many people have come asking for us to choose them. It's been rather ridiculous."

"Um, about that, you don't, you know, have to you know, find me a date… anymore. I, kinda, found someone." Never in his life did he think he ever had stumbled over and massacred a sentence as much as the ones he just did. How was it that the one who killed one of the darkest Dark Lords ever couldn't even manage to tell his friend he had a date.

"Oh, who?" She asked as though she truly wanted to know but he had the feeling she already did. She was the smartest in their class for a reason.

"Well, we're going as just friends but it's kinda a secret-"

"For god's sake Harry. I know you taking Rogue, ok."

"Shhhhh! Keep it down Hermione. We are keeping it a secret until the dance. No one can know."

"Ok, but why? I would think you wouldn't want the attention of a surprise date."

"I don't but, well, I think she believe if people knew they would talk me out of it. A lot of people from what I've gathered tend to keep away from her because of her power. Though she tried to act like she didn't want to I could tell she really wanted to go to the dance, kind of a for once normal thing for her you know? So please Hermione, you can't tell anyone."

"OK, fine. I'll even help you out with Amanda and Kitty." Horror crossed his face at the idea of having to somehow try and explain it to them. Hermione got a good laugh at it though.

"Hermione, you are a goddess and Ron is the luckiest man alive to have you and I am the second to have you as a friend cause you are such a good friend-"

"Enough with the gratitude Harry. I already said I was going to do it so just stop."

"Thanks Hermione."

"Anytime Harry." She then went back to her books. Harry looked at her for a moment thinking about how he was going to tell her and Ron. He needed someone to help out. Having this bit of, whatever it was, all to himself, not being able to tell anyone, would drive him mad if he didn't say something soon. But he didn't know how they would take it. What was going on with him, he looked everywhere and there was nothing like what was happening documented anywhere. Not that he could find anyway.

He must have been silently arguing with himself for a while cause he suddenly heard Hermione calling for him. When he looked up he saw that she looked worried.

"Harry, is everything alright?"

"Yeah. Um, hey, tonight after dinner I need to talk to you and Ron about something. Would you guys meet me, um let say in the library?"

"Sure Harry. Is everything alright? You seem, I don't know, almost upset about something."

"No, everything is fine Hermione. Hey, I gotta go and finish my paper for Snape, I'll see you after dinner."

"What, your not coming?"

"No."

"Harry, you didn't even have lunch. You have to eat."

"I'll be fine Hermione."

"I'm no letting you go back to hardly eating again Harry. You can't-"

"Hermione, I'll be fine ok. I'll see you after dinner." And with that he left the common room not even bothering to grab his books. He knew there wasn't a chance in the world he was actually going to be able to study or think about anything other than what he was going to tell the other two, how to explain just how much different he was now.

.........o.O.o……………................................…………………...........................

Dinner had come and gone fast for Ron and Hermione. Hermione had told Ron as soon as she saw him what had occurred with Harry and he too become concerned about him. They both survived the questions from Amanda about as to why she was now having to give up on her favorite project and as soon as they could headed off for the library. No one noticed them really but neither of the two noticed that one did and also excused themselves from the table as well to followed them.

..........o.O.o…………………...............................……………...........................

Harry looked at the clock and noticed that dinner had been coming close to an end. He knew his friends were going to come as soon as they could without drawing attention. They knew when had asked to speak to them alone, that meant it was serious. He had thought that this was all over once the war had ended, but it seemed that yet again he was wrong.

He felt them way before he saw or heard them, much like how he had with Rogue earlier. This time though he wasn't going to not try and freak them out. If they were to understand then they needed to know what he was telling them was true.

Once they go to where they were still to far to ever have been hear he called out to them. "Hey guys, come on and sit down." Though he couldn't see to he knew they were exchanging looks. They both were wondering how he knew when they were still way across the room.

Sending out his 'senses' he found there was no on in the room besides them. Out in the hall there was a wizard but he paid no attention to them, thinking they were merely passing by. The library was on the way to many places.

Looking up at his friends who had taken their seats across from him he focused entirely on them. He _really_ didn't want to have this conversation but he knew, he knew they needed to know. Thinking he was about to start, he was interrupted before he could even say a word.

"Harry, is everything alright? Your scaring us right now." And he could see that. They looked frightened for him, thinking probably that he was going to tell them something dreadful. _Well it could be seen that way, couldn't it? I really wouldn't be shocked if by the end of this though if it was __**me**__ they were scared off. _God, he hoped that that would never happen. The only reason he had gotten through everything was because of them and if he lost them now, he might just brake this time. God, he hoped that wouldn't happen.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts he turned to Hermione. Instead of giving her an 'I'm fine', he told her the truth. "Honestly, I really don't know." He looked up at them, looking truly lost, something they had seen many times during the war and had hoped would never again. Whatever it was had to be damn serious if Harry had forgone the normal fines and actually telling them something. They both were really, really scared, especially since neither before now had had any idea there was anything wrong in the first place.

"Mate come on, tell us what's going on so we can fix it. There's nothing that can stand up to the three of us, nothing the golden trio can't handle." Ron actually managed to get a laugh out of him. But after a second even Harry could hear how sad and hopeless in sounded. Looking up he saw neither of them were laughing anymore.

"I don't know if that will work this time Ron."

"Just tell us Harry! We can't do anything if we don't know." Hermione pleaded.

"Well, you remember how I was in a coma?" Of course they did but they nodded anyway. "Well, after I woke up, I was-something was different about me."

He couldn't seem to think of the right way to put it in words. '_Hey suddenly I'm the freak I grew up hearing I was. I suddenly have developed this way to feel and see peoples magic or mutant power and the thing that essentially keeps everyone alive and have found yet again another way to separate myself from everyone else. Oh and by the way I can use raw magic. Yeah, want go play a game of exploding snaps now?' _Oh yeah, that was exactly what he should say.

"Spit it out already Potter." Suddenly all three of them saw Draco step out from behind a nearby bookshelf. Seeing him he recognized him from the one he felt earlier but had simple dismissed. He realized he had gotten so lost in his thoughts he hadn't been paying any attention to what was going on around him.

Stepping up to the table Draco took a seat on the other side with one empty chair in between him and Hermione. He looked at them for a moment before he turned his attention back to Harry. "Well spit in out. I want to know what is so changed now, because I really can't tell any difference."

Harry hesitated. He no longer loathed the other boy but he didn't know if he could trust him with this, especially when he didn't know exactly what it meant.

Seeming to understand Harry's pause Draco promised. "If you wish I can promise you not to tell anyone what I hear."

"Like we would trust you, Ferret. You wouldn't know how to keep a secret for anything." Yep, Harry might not have hated Draco anymore but Ron did. He didn't think either would ever get over the whole family feud thing.

"I'll have you know Weasel I would be a disgrace of a Slytherin if I couldn't keep a secret thank you. And I would never do anything to disgrace my family."

Before Ron could say anything Hermione stepping in. "So you are saying you will swear a wizards oath?"

He only hesitated for a moment. "If that is what you wish. I swear upon my magic and blood as a wizard the I shall not repeat anything said by Harry, unless given his permission." With his words a nice little magic show swirled around him, a band that was almost like a red ribbon, and then when that was over Hermione and even Ron seemed satisfied and then all three turned back to Harry.

_Damn, I was liking the attention being somewhere else._ Deciding that he had to do this be began. "You remember me being in the hospital. Well, when I woke up, like I said I was different."

Harry saw a dawn of realization on Draco's face before he spoke. "Does this have anything to do with that freak out you had?"

Harry cringed, but nodded. He had never told his friends about that and had never planned on it. The memories themselves were enough to make him want to crawl into a hole.

_He had just started to wake up. He felt as though a train had hit him. Looking around he could tell he didn't have his glasses on because everything was so blurry, yet something seemed off. What he was seeing, though out of focus and impossible to distinguish, seemed wrong._

_The one thing he could tell was that he was in a hospital somewhere. The smell of things sterile and of clean linens flooded his nose and the noise in the back ground was similar to that which he had heard so many times when he was in the hospital wing. _

_Having gone through the motions so many times he reached over to where he knew the bedside table would be and picked up the glasses he knew were there. Placing them on he looked around and what he saw scared him._

_Everything was radiating in this, light. Everything, the potions and the lights, which he could tell where the bubble lights of St. Mungo, even the damn plants in the room, all were giving of this feeling of energy. He was so confused as to what he was seeing that he hadn't noticed at first the healer come in. _

_When he had though he had gone into a full blown panic. If he thought that the potions were bright in this new sense, he didn't know anything for when he saw a person he was practically blinded. He had started backing away and then more people had come in, trying to calm and restrain him. Later he found out that his magic had started to become uncontrollable and had seemed like it was ready to destroy everything and everyone in the room. _

It would have too if he hadn't suddenly felt something. It was like one of the phantom feeling's he had felt, much like that of at the final battle and when he was growing up, but this was instead claming. It had helped him to restrain himself and slowly he started to see things as normal again. He could still sense the energy to things but nothing looked like a macabre scene either.

It had been his luck that Draco had been walking by on his way to an appointment and had seen everything. That was the day that they had made their truce.

Looking back up he nodded to Draco again. He then looked at his friends and started to tell what exactly happened, filling the blanks for Draco while informing Ron and Hermione for the first time. "Ok, when I first woke up everything had looked different. It was like everyone had turned off the lights. I couldn't see anything, except for the magic in the room. Anything with magic in it or on it was just magic to see. The potions in the cabinets, the lights, the spells to monitor me, even the sheets which had warming charms placed on them, were only bright lights to me. Only bright magic was all I could see."

"Then when the healers came into the room, I was practically blinded. I saw, their magic, their aura, their essence. I didn't know this was what I was seeing. All I was thinking was that I was being attacked by things I had never seen. I freaked."

Draco had a look of understanding on his face, Hermione looked confused and Ron, well Harry couldn't tell what he looked like. He paused, letting everything he said sink in.

"It wasn't until later that I pieced together what I was seeing. By then my vision had returned to normal, though there was still a part in the back of my head that still sensed it, the magic, that was all around me.

"But that's not possible Harry." Hermione said slowly. "What your, talking about, I have never seen or hear of any spell that sounds like what you are explaining. Yes, powerful wizards like Dumbledore can feel magic that's been done if they really try but no one can actually see it."

Harry's hope fell a little but there. He had hoped he had missed something somewhere. But if Hermione hadn't heard of anything like this than it was likely that there truly wasn't anything to compare this to. "I know, all summer I've looked and looked. There is nothing to date that I found that is like this. Not only can I see, sense, whatever a person's magic and strength but also their aura and whatever they are, a light or dark wizard. And there is nothing out there that is close to this."

Silence was all that met this. Since he had gone this far he might as well go all the way. "Not only that though. Not only can I sense a wizards magic but also a mutants powers, along with muggles. I essence, I think I can feel what it is that makes a person alive."

Silence again. _Man, this is starting to get a little nerve-racking._ No one said anything for a few minutes. Harry was beginning to become extremely worried when Ron asked. "So you can feel a wizards magic?" Nod. "And you can also feel a mutants powers?" Another nod. "But Harry, what you said about muggles. They don't have any power."

"That's not true actually." At this everyone looked to Hermione. "Well they do. There are several of occurrences were a muggle did something where they weren't supposed to by definition of what they are."

"Like lifting cars off of children?" Harry asked. He once heard a report when he was younger about an older lady lifting a car that had fallen on her grandchild, saving him. It had been in passing while he was cleaning the living room for his relatives. He had forgotten cause afterwards he was taught what happened when you block a tv.

"Yes like that." Seeing Ron was lost she explained more. "Like little old women lifting cars off children, spontaneous combustion, things that should have been impossible. Things like that can have been recorded since that beginning of the human race. One time occurrences, and no they weren't wizards or mutants. These events, along with what Harry is talking about can only be proving that muggles do have some power to them, but it's usually seems only to appear when the person is in an extraordinary situation. This, this reminds me so much of a theory I read once."

"Are you talking about the 'Theory of Origin?'" Draco asked, speaking up for the first time since the conversation had stared.

"Yes." Hermione answered.

"What's that? I don't think I've ever heard of it." Harry asked.

"Well you wouldn't have. It was never something to read for class, and the reason I suppose Draco has read it is because of the controversy over it?" To this Draco nodded. Hermione when she saw her friends explaining it further for Ron and Harry. "This theory is one that is almost a forbidden theory. What all is said in it are things that almost no one, especially that of the pureblood community, want to ever be thought of as possible."

"What is the theory?" Harry asked. There had to be a reason Hermione would bring this up.

"Well, it goes almost along the lines of what you told us. All beings ,wizard, mutant, muggle, have to them an energy that keeps them alive. This is their essence. It is really only a few years old and was the first mention of mutants in our world. Now, while the three all have a different kind of central power it all comes from supposedly the same place. This is the part of the theory that most people don't like."

"To think a muggle and a wizard have to them something that comes from the same place is entirely and basicly blasphemy." Draco inputted.

"Yes, that is why the theory is never talked about. To mention it in pleasant company would be social suicide. You would never have heard about in a school because even Hogwarts is banded from mentioning it, a ban put into place by the Wizengamot. Now while it is looked down upon, there are the laws making it illegal to speak about."

_Wow, this is pretty serious, _Harry thought. While the ministry had interfered in their fifth year, it was because the Minister was loosing it and no one had thought to stand up to him because they all thought he was in the right. Other than when Umbridge had started off with all the stupid Ministry orders, never had the government been able to ban _anything _from being taught. If Dumbledore wanted he could have the dark arts taught and no one would be able to stop him. Now, they could remove him and then the new headmaster could get rid of it, but that would be the only way. For this theory to have been banned, and to have to allowed to be banned by Dumbledore was something very, very important.

Going over what Hermione had said a little snid bit came up. "Wait, you said that all, energy I suppose, comes from the same place. What was that you were talking about?"

"Well," Hermione looked over to Draco, but found that he was intently looking at Harry. Harry could tell whatever this next part was, it was going to be almost explosive. "in the theory it says, it says that all energy, magic or mutant power or what makes everything alive, all that is basically a very deluded and watered down like form of pure, raw magic."

Harry looked at them. Both Hermione and Draco looked as if they thought he was going to blow a gasket. He really though didn't find it to be too much of a stretch, after all he could use it and when ever he looked at others energy it always had the same basic feeling to it, no matter who it came from. The theory so far had been right to everything he was seeing and feeling when looking through his new sense.

Looking back at Hermione and Draco he was about to say something when suddenly Ron exploded. It seemed their expected explosion had come, just from the wrong person. "It's absolutely shite, it is! This theory of yours must have been written from a complete nutter. Pure magic is absolutely impossible to handle, no matter how _deluded_ it is! To think everyone's magic and life comes from it is absurd!"

"Um…" Everyone turned to him. _I_ _suppose now is as good at time as any._ And with that thought he summoned a ball of pure magic into his hand. It was only really the size of a tennis ball but it illuminated the entire library with luminescent glow. The ball almost looked to be a sort of liquid but yet solid at the same time. It was white but it could be said to be silver as well, it was impossible to say which would be more accurate. But here and there it had a fleck of emerald green, what Harry assumed was his aura showing up. Every time he made one of these balls be was always so amazed at how brilliant they were.

Tearing his eyes away from the ball he looked towards his friends but found they weren't were they had been a second ago. Looking around he found the almost ten feet away, looking scared. _They were afraid, afraid of __**me**__. _

Quickly he closed his hand, extinguishing the ball and sending the room in to an almost blinding darkness. Looking up again he saw his friends were still so far away from him. They had yet to move.

Seeing them like that, afraid of him in the same manner he had seen them as Death Eaters and Voldemort himself was a hard hit. His own friends, two of whom he considered like siblings and one who could be a very good friend come enough time. He didn't think he could stand it if he stayed any longer. So he turned around and left.

He didn't see his friends come out of their stupor or how concerned they were about the friend that just left. Nor that they went running after him.

Walking back to the dorms had been the longest and most dreading walk he ever took. Never before had he walked back thinking the next time he saw his friends they would no longer care about their friendship. So lost in thought about what could happen now in accordance to the happenings in the library, that when he walked into the hall holding all the wizarding commons rooms he almost missed the fact that there was someone else in said hall.

It took but a moment to figure out that it was in fact Harker who was there. Simple for the fact that he couldn't feel anything from her. Her back was turned away from him so he couldn't see what she was doing. Walking up to her he found he was in no need to make his presence known to her for somehow she already seemed to know.

"Hello Mr. Potter." He was baffled. Harry was used to people he had never met knowing his name, even mutants but never while there back was still turned to him. He was about to ask her how she knew it was him when again she stumped him. "Amanda's a fan."

_What?_ Harker was an enigma if he had ever seen one. Not even some of the things Voldemort's did confused him as much as her few spoken sentences. He was about to ask her again when again she spoke. This time though she turned around.

"That's how I knew your name. Amanda, while she may have gone to school here, did learn magic as well and kept in touch with her world. Over the years you have been big news and Amanda has been a fan since your first year."

"Oh." He really wasn't listening to what she was saying anymore, if he had been he would have been annoyed at how much Amanda seemed to have been interested in him before. No, right then he was focusing on what she was holding in her hands.

Much like the ball he had been holding earlier, in her hands was a ball of magic, only this wasn't the pure kind he had been holding earlier. This was everyday, ordinary magic but highly concentrated and compacted from what he could sense. But how did she have such a thing? If that were to go off this whole part of the building would have been dust and ruble. Looking up he left if to her to know what he was asking.

"This is all the magic residue that was in the school. Every bit that was wondering around and affecting the electricity in the building is right here."

"But how?"

"I created one of my shields around the school and then shrank it, catching all the magic within it."

"So what are you going to do with it now?"

"Well, once I get a barrier around all the rooms I plan to, very _very_ slowly, release it."

"So you are going to be able to put up those shields they were talking about. They had tried to do that with Keller and found it was no use. Why would you be able to."

For the first time he heard her laugh. It sounded like it was something one did when expected of them. No real humor behind it, almost dead. "Keller needs to be there when his shields are up. I can make a shield and then leave it, knowing it will stay. There is nothing that can bring one down other than me. I will make them so no magic will be able to get out again and reek havoc on the wiring again. Good night Potter."

Suddenly she turned around. At first he didn't know what for but then he felt them. His friends were about two seconds away. Looking around he saw they coming up to them. For a brief second he wondered how Harker knew but then concentrated on the ones in front of him, instead of the one behind.

Hermione and Ron were running, to a point if they didn't stop they weren't going to be able to. Turns out they weren't planning on it. They ran strait into him tackling him to the ground. Draco he saw was standing back watching over them, a sneer on his face. But Harry saw the humor behind it.

"Oh Harry, you big idiot. We're sorry! We all were just really shocked." Hermione said, practically in tears.

"But you were scared of me. I saw it myself."

"No, we weren't mate. We were scared for you. Raw magic can destroy a person and the last time you used it you were in a coma for a month. This stuff is scary Harry and you seem to be able to use it. I don't want to loose my little brother simply cause he is able to handle something no one ever has been able to before." Ron rushed out.

"Oh."

"What did you think we thought?" Hermione asked. Pause. Harry merely looked down at the ground. "You thought we were scared and were going to abandon you. Dammit Harry, when are you going to realize that we are not going to give up on you!? We have fought Death Eather's and had to put up with nightmares and final exams together. We are never going to leave you, so you had better get used to that idea mister!"

Hermione's words seemed to brightened his world. For the first time, he really believed them. Draco merely looked down and said. "It's too interesting around you to not be around. I might miss something." Again that hint of humor was there and Harry could only find himself laughing at him. Once he stopped he looked back at them.

"Um about that theory-"

"Maybe we should take this in to the common room?" Hermione stated. When Harry looked confused she merely motioned behind him. _Oh, yeah. Harker is there isn't she._ He nodded to the and they made their way into the Griffindor common room. When Draco had halted at the door Harry and Ron had to push him to keep going. Everyone in there had gone quiet at the sight of a snake in their commons but the four merely continued on to the dorms. No one said a word until the door was locked and silenced and it was made sure it was only them.

Harry was sitting at the end of his bed while Hermione and Ron were at the end of Ron's. Draco was just standing there, awkwardly, in the middle of the room. He dared not sit on one of the other beds for fear of what he would catch yet there seemed to be no where else in the room to sit. So he stood.

"For Merlin's sake, are you or aren't you a wizard?" Hermione asked. With a simple flick of her wand there was a very comfortable chair for him, better really than anyone else in the room could have done Harry thought absently.

"So, about this theory. Well, so far everything you have told me about it has wrung true to what I've be experiencing. What I wish I knew was how they knew it."

"Well, that was another reason it isn't taken seriously Harry. The writer had no proof to their statements other than saying 'I have seen with eyes what no other can see'. Actually-"

"That sounds like me. That sounds exactly like me! If they have whatever it is I do then maybe they could explain it to me, help me understand exactly what is going on. Can you tell me who wrote it. If I can contact them-"

"That's the thing. The theory was published anonymously." Hermione explained.

"How can a bloke publish something like that and not be named?" Ron asked.

"It actually happens all the time, that or under another name. Think about it, if you were going to publish something you knew everyone would want to hunt you down for, would you put your name on it?"

"Well I guess you have a point but for it to be published and known so widely, you would just think."

"But it isn't, is it? Figures, I find out there is someone out there who may know about what is going on with me and find I'll never be able to ask." Harry.

"They live in New York City." At this everyone turned towards Draco. "My father tracked them down right after it came out. The Dark Lord wanted to know who was the next person to be made an example of and the task was given to my father. He got as far as the magical distract in New York before everything went cold."

"New York." Harry whispered. So close. If he went looking then maybe, maybe he would find something Malfoy had missed. But how would he get there. It wasn't like back at Hogwarts where they were given Hogsmead weekends.

"You know, if we won that competition we could go and look for this bloke." Ron stated.

"That's a brilliant idea Ron!" Hermione stated.

"But what about the costumes? Remember, they have to have something to do with mutants and I don't know about you guys but I've been drawling a complete blank over that. Not only would we have to come up with costumes but they would have to be the best out of a few hundred students." Harry pointed out. Out of the hundreds of students there, many of which had magic and could make almost anything they wanted, any costume they had would have to be mind blowing to even stand a chance.

"Actually, I happen to have the answer to that." Hermione said mysteriously. When everyone looked at her to continue she merely said. "Don't worry, it's all been taken care of. Anyway, Rogue is Harry's date for the dance."

"What!" Ron. "Nice." Draco. Both of them had stated at the same time causing Harry to glare daggers at Hermione.

"Don't give me that look. They were bound to have gotten it out of you anyway and they wont tell, will they." Ron shrunck away fom her gaze. Everyone of them knew her words were for him. "Anyway, who are you going with Draco?"

"A seventh year Ravenclaw, can't really remember her name."

"Oh, and what was it that happened with Harker. I heard some interesting things about you and her in the courtyard."

"What!?" Harry exclaimed. For some reason a very protective urge for Harker appeared in him_. If Draco did anything-_

"Oh, that." He looked at Harry wondering why it mattered to him. "Well, I went to ask her but then figured it wouldn't be worth it to take her, seeing as she wouldn't really be all that interesting would she?" At this the blonde looked away. There was no way he would tell a group of bloody lions what really happened. Not like they would ever know anyway.

"So that is how it went, here I thought I saw her simply turned you down, three times actually, and then throw you to the ground when you simply wouldn't take no for an answer. I must have been mistaken." By the time Hermione had finished both Harry and Ron were on their backs, grabbing their sides from laughing so hard. Hermione herself succumbed to giggling once she had finished. For a second Draco did absolutely nothing, still too stunned he had been caught, but once his mind caught up he stormed out of the dorm leaving three laughing people behind.

He didn't notice the people he was passing, the shocked Griffindors who ran up quickly to check on the three he left behind. He didn't stop until he was in the corridor outside and the door was soundly shut behind him.

He then let out a breath, calmed down and then straitened up. He wouldn't want anyone to see him looking so unrefined, slumped over in a hallway. When he looked up though he saw something he really didn't want to. Harker was still there from earlier. Suddenly the only thing he could think of was finding out why he wasn't good enough to take the princess of the mutants to a damn dance!

This time though, he noted, he would make sure to stay at least three feet out of her reach.

And with that thought he marched right up to her, totally forgetting his earlier thought. Just when he was about to say something and surprise her, she turned around. Their faces were an inch apart and she looked, beautiful. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed she was talking.

"What is it you wanted Malfoy." _Huh, how in the world- she knows me?_ They were still an inch apart so her almost whispered words were easily heard.

"Well, um- I just, well wanted-" _Damn her, she'd turned me into a stuttering mess!_ "I wanted to know why you seemed to find me not good enough to take you to the dance. Why I seem not to meet up to the princess of the school's standards."

It seemed to take a second for his words to final sink in for when they did she did the oddest thing. She smiled at him. It was the first actual emotion he had seen on her and it seemed to do something to his chest. He'd never felt that before. "Princess huh. Well, in answer to your question, it has nothing to do with standards, merely the fact I am not going. It has nothing to do with you."

And with that she turned around and walked away. Draco was so, happy, though he would never admit it, that he could only smile at her back. He never noticed she was holding something that looked almost exactly like what Harry had shown them earlier and that with her leaving the hall seemed to grow very and almost ominously dark.

* * *

AN: Ok done is the chapter from hell. I have been dreading the explanation part. Not only cause I didn't know how to write the reactions of his friends but also cause I wasn't sure exactly how to explain it. If you are still a little fuzzy in it think about the movie Daredevil. While he sees sound Harry sees magic and all energy, all which comes from pure magic just deluded to the point it wont kill the people it keeps alive. Huh, I guess it wasn't really that hard.

**SO PREVIEW!!!! **'_AWWWWW!' _

'_What is it Harry?' _

'_My scar, it's on fire!'_

…_. 'Look at the news.' _

'…_earlier today news was made when a convicted killer was suddenly released. Known for his crimes committed against mutants, it came as a shock when he was released when supposedly all the evidence was found none conclusive to the case-' _

'_If he's out then-'_

'_We have on our hands a big problem.'_

**The villain's of the piece will be NAMED!!!!!**

Please review!


	8. And Halloween Has Come

**ATTENTION**: I'm looking for a beta for this story. I've been looking over my last few chapters and have been becoming real depressed by the fact that I edited them so badly. I am going to go over them and try to do a better job but a beta for the future would probably be best. So anyone interested simply email me.

Also so it is known, at the end of the chapter after the dance I will have a list of all the mutants that will be in the story. There is a reason it will be then and not now so yeah, you'll just have to wait until then to figure out why. Actually by the end of the next chapter I'll have given you a pretty big clue.

Oh, I kept meaning to put this in but I forgot the last few time cause I was rushing to get the chapters out. A few chapters ago Keller went all homophobe and was quite crude. I in no way actually think that right and believe me, he does have a reason to hate them and he will get his ass kicked sooner or later.

One final note, I used the outfits from X-Men: First Class.

* * *

_I'm going to kill Hermione_. That was the only thought that was going through Harry's head. When she said she had the costumes taken care of, he never for a moment hesitated in trusting her words. They had fought a Dark Lord together so he had no reason to have any suspicions or to be nervous at all, right? Now maybe he had an idea why Voldemort won so often.

Looking in the mirror he saw why he wanted to kill his best friend and cringed for the hundredth time. Not only was he in extremely tight pants but he had absolutely no shirt on. Everything he had was on display for the entire school to see. He was not happy at all.

"Hey, at least you'll have sheet of ice covering you." Good old helpful and doe eyed Hermione. He was not going to be alright with this. Looking at her he whispered to himself not to cave, she was the reason for this, she was the reason he looked absolutely ridicules, she was the reason-

"Yeah, I suppose your right." Damn he was a sucker. Looking at her almost hurt yet staying strong look, he couldn't bring himself to be mean.

Looking at her he supposed they all had it bad as him, at least he didn't have an overly mass amount of yellow spandex running down his body. She too was in a skin tight suite in yellow and a dark navy blue. The thing though that really hit you when looking at her was her hair. It was red, and not just an oh, what a nice shade but bright, bright red. If she ever married Ron and anyone remembered this someone would probably call incest cause she looked like she belonged to the Weasley clan already.

Ron also was in a full body suit amass of blue and yellow. The part of his costume the stuck out was the visor he was wearing. Ruby red quartz were the lenses and they actually looked good on him. Bad side though was he was having trouble seeing anything. He already had fallen down two flights of stairs in the dorms because of them. Finally Hermione had cast a visibility spell to help him out yet he still managed to fall after that, just not as much.

In the hall outside the dorms which was bathed in the twilight of outside they were awaiting the final member of their group. Harry wanted to see exactly how Draco's had turned out and if he looked as ridiculous as them or if somehow the Malfoy charm would have saved him.

They didn't have to wait long. Soon the three of them heard a cough behind them and turned to see Draco standing there. His costume looked the same as Ron and Harry, at least the lower half of Harry's anyway, yellow and blue but protruding from his back were two large white wings. Harry thought absently they looked almost what you would picture that of an angel to have. He looked more like the heroic figure they were supposed to be coping than any of them did. His almost white blond hair added to the affect of the entire outfit.

"Potter, aren't you supposed to be covered in an inch of ice for that."

If he didn't know Draco had absolutely no interest in him sexually he would have thought he was checking him out for a second. The look he passed over him was enough to think it but they could barely tolerate each other at times even now so he didn't take any more notice to it.

"Yeah well even though the ice isn't actually cold it can get a little chilling so I was waiting until I absolutely had to."

"Hm. You know Potter, if any of the girls see you like that you're going to get mobbed right?"

"Huh?" Why, he looked ridiculous like this? Far too skinny from years of malnutrition to which he was never able to gain back made him look scrawny and unhealthy. That, along with all his scars from over the years, made him feel like a freak. Funny how ironic that was. He knew though once he added the ice he might pass as a normal teenager but at the moment he was far from.

"Never mind Draco. If we haven't been able to get him to notice in over six years then you haven't a hope of doing so in only one conversation." Hermione said.

"Yeah, he's terribly hopeless. Let's just get going." Ron's words sounded out and with that they started to walk away, leaving a confused Harry.

"What? I am not hopeless thank you very much!" Catching up to them he saw they were all snickering at him. These are supposed to be my friends, yet he really wasn't that bothered. He though did want to know what they were talking about. "What did you mean-"

"Nothing Harry, don't worry about it." Draco at times could seriously be confusing Harry thought. One moment he could be the sneering spiteful Slytherin that they grew up knowing and then the next he could be a totally and almost nice person. Harry really thought he would never be able to understand the brooding blond ever in the remaining days of his life but he now could see himself calling the other a friend. It had been almost a week since he had told the other three about himself, about all the changes that had happened to him, and surprisingly the blond was the one who happened to have helped the most since then. It had been decided that no one could know about what was said and he had taken it upon himself to try and teach the three occlumency. Within a weeks time and much patience from Draco, Harry had learned what he couldn't in fifth year. It was like Potions this year had just seemed to be almost unnaturally easy for him to understand. Hermione was having some troubles but was doing well considering the time in which she had started to the present and the added fact that she had done all the reading she could when he had been trying to learn in two years ago, but Ron was absolutely hopeless. He still was having problems with the simplest parts and would constantly say it was Draco's fault no matter how many times Harry would inform him he in fact had had a much worse teacher. Compared to Snape, Draco was a saint sent from holy heaven singing the blessings of the highest choir.

"Harry!" Looking up suddenly he saw that somehow they had already gotten to the dinning hall's doors. Coming through them was Rogue who was dressed as an angel. The main part of the outfit was a short white dress that came to about mid thigh with long sleeves that were off the shoulders, under which were a pair of white gloves. On her back he could see a pair of cloth wings peaking from behind her and above her head was a halo that he could only have guessed she somehow had someone place a modified hovering charm on. She was, beautiful. So entranced by her he didn't notice any of the people around him staring at them, or hadn't until Hermione ruthfully attacked his side. Looking at her for an explanation he found the group that had formed around them. _What in the world, are our costumes that interesting?_ He was at a loss for what could have amassed such an audience. He then noticed he was half naked in front of them all. Quickly, he cast the spell that would cover him with ice, not enjoying the attention, and the response shocked him as much as their actions. They seemed, disappointed.

They weren't for long though. The few who hadn't lingered away saw Rogue and Harry walk towards each other. Harry himself had blocked out all of them as he looked at the girl in front of him. Inside his head were thoughts that were far from friendship. She was just so absolutely and beautifully brilliant. A little part of him though was a bit upset that they were here together as only friends but he shook that away. _They were friends and that wasn't how you thought of friends,_ he scolded himself.

A gasp brought him out of his thoughts and looking up, he found a shocked Amanda looking at them. She was dressed in an outfit he had seen on Hollywood stars back in the 40's around, a sort of off white satin dress with her hair flowing down in a cascade of elegant curls. At her side was the blue man himself in a black pinstripe, three piece suite with a bowler cap and a cane with a silver head and tip. The two looked good together Harry noted in his head, smiling at the blue tail swinging behind Kurt.

"You, you two are together? You're his date, she's your date, and he's with you?" She seemed so confused she just kept repeating her questions over and over again until Kurt stopped her.

"Yes, she is my date tonight. Is that a problem Amanda?"

"No, no, it's just I didn't know you two were together and-" She was so flustered and at a loss for words that Harry took pity on her and cut her off before she could stumble over her own tongue any longer.

"We're not. We only came as friends, right Rogue?"

"Right. Ya know I couldn't be with anyone anyway Amanda." Rogue noted sadly.

"Oh, about that." Digging in his pocket, which was exceptionally hard with all the ice covering him, he looked for the item he acquired earlier. Finding it he pulled out a small ring. It was very simple, only a plain band yet it would help out Rogue tonight and that was all Harry wanted. "Here, you have to take off your gloves for it to work."

She was puzzled by both his request and by the ring itself but she did as told and took off the glove on her right hand. With a simple motion she slipped it on tentatively and to her surprise and those around them, nothing happened. That was what they thought anyways until Harry's hand darted forward and took a hold her right hand. Both Amanda and Kurt jumped forward to stop him and Rogue tried to jump back but Harry kept a hold of her hand until a look of understanding and shock passed over her. She then, carefully, almost like one would act with a scared animal leaned her hand in and touch his face. Even with the ice she knew she should have been draining him on his life right then or at the least the spell that incased him in the ice. Looking at him confused he understood what her unasked question was.

"Earlier in the week about right after I talked to you about going to the dance I went and talked to Harker. I asking her if there was anyway to somehow create a shield for you tonight. She told me she could attach one to a ring and that it would cover over you once you put it on."

"But why, why she do it now? Why would she when she hates me? In the past I've asked her an' she said it wouldn't work righ'. If she could have done this before than-"

"She couldn't before she said. She told me that fixing a shield to an object is easy if they don't have to be moved and are simply stationary. The shields for the school are like that. But to have the shield be fixed around something that is moving, to fix it exactly to the skin of a person is almost impossible, even this ring will only work for about twelve hours at the most she said. It took her almost an entire week just to be able to make that possible."

"But why would she do that for you?"

"Well," Even to him he could hear the confusion in his own voice. The entire exchange had been odd to say the least. "when I started talking about it she really didn't seem to care all that much. She just didn't seem to care at all actually, but once I asked her as a personal favor she seemed to change her mind. It was really odd, one second she didn't care at all and the next she's all talking about what she thought she might be able to do. "

"Hm, you have to wonder if she's all there. I mean sometimes…" Ron trailed off there but everyone got what he was getting at. She simply walks in after missing a month and a half of school and tells off a fellow student for a few things he said, well Harry kept in mind that Keller did deserve it. She seemed to have no emotions at all except for the brief and random phantom of such at the most oddest of times. While she was an enigma, it was also easy to see why anyone would think she may be a little off the deep end.

Amanda though didn't seem to share Ron's opinion. If fact, she was practically seething from the few words Ron had said.

"And you don't know her _Ronald_, so be a good little boy and shut about things you couldn't possibly understand." Amanda sounded so unlike herself, almost malicious. None of her childish smile was there. It was Kurt who pulled her away and into the hall, leaving everyone a little confused. They waited a little bit more outside the hall before Draco's date showed up. Dressed in a very skimpy cat/hooker outfit and then latching herself onto Draco, it left no doubt in any of theirs minds exactly what she had planned for Draco later in the night. From the way he was looking at her barely concealed chest they knew he wasn't going to argue the point either. After a few pleasantries between the two and some very annoying giggle that was met with many eye rolls, the group proceeded to enter the hall.

The only way Harry could describe it was one simple word. Magic. What they saw simply amazed them. It was obvious that magic would have been the only thing that would have been explainable for most of the halls look. Along all the walls cloths in varies colors of red, purple orange and black hung, closing the hall off from the outer twilight and plunging it into a almost dream like darkness. The only lights were the seemingly strings that crossed the entire hall and had candles every few inches of all sizes. They obviously had been charmed to be ever-lasting and to not melt for though there was nothing to catch the wax there were no signs of any below. In the first part of the room, closer to the door were groups of tables, all with a few candles to lighten them. Then there was a clear space in front of a large stage which too was light only by candles. Through out the whole room there wasn't a sign of any other light source or of a hint of smoke anywhere. Even with all the flames around the room was extremely cool.

While the room was wonderful, the costumes of the other students was what really caught Harry's attention. It seemed not all of the students had tried to have anything to do with the contest and merely dressed in the most outrages costumes they could find. Almost all the typical ones were there, Dracula, fairies, love doctors, but it was the ones that tried that were the most interesting. For the mutants there were more than one that seemed to have found things to look like a few of there teachers. Surprisingly the two most common were Dumbledore and Snape. Some others had seemed to have borrowed a Hogwarts students uniforms. Merlin how Harry was glad they no longer were required to wear them during school. When they had arrived it was a disaster with how all of them had uniforms while the mutant did not. One of the factors that had helped escalate the prank war between in the school.

It was actually quite funny watching some who inevitably found themselves tripping on the hems. Then there was the typical witch and wizard costumes that though were a bit like an actual magical outfit, they usually were either very badly done by hand or with some were very generous in the amount of, surface they showed. Throughout the next hour Harry saw a number of them have to put on a fellows students costumed cloak because a teacher had come down upon them.

The Hogwarts students hadn't pulled it off any better. Somehow one of them, which Harry swore was the younger Creevey brother, was in a giant turtle costume. Apparently he thought the Mutant Ninja Turtles were actually real mutants. Others had come up with varies of other things but some were actually very offensive.

Soon they group tore their eyes away from every thing and found themselves a table. When Harry had sat done after pulling out Rogue's chair he looked around. Rogue was on his left and then Hermione and Ron followed by then Kurt and Amanda. To his right was Draco and the Reana then the last were Poitr and Kitty. After a few minutes in which the whole room settled the food for their dinner appeared, all have been prepared in interesting ways to fit the theme. Dinner itself was very festive with a low drum of music playing in the back ground. Everyone was enjoying simply hanging out and chatting with their friends. Towards the end of the meal some students had gotten up and started to dance. Harry and his friends merely sat around talking.

Rogue, Harry noticed though wasn't really paying too much attention to anything really except something across the hall. When he looked as well, all he saw was the staff table. The only interesting part there was that someone Harry knew wasn't a part of the staff. He partly thought so because they were too young and he had never seen them but also because he really didn't think someone in leather with obvious tattoo's would actually teach any subject here. But there he was, talking with Xavier. They both looked very ingrained in whatever they were talking about. Whoever he was he was dressed in what you would expect a rocker to wear and Harry didn't think it was merely in the spirit of the holiday. He seemed too right for the chains and makeup. It seemed to just simply fit him and something about him seemed familiar but Harry just couldn't place it. He watched for another few second before he looked back at Rogue to find she still had yet to halt her obvious staring.

"Hey Rogue, something a little interesting over there?"

She turned towards him for a second before she turned back. "Oh nothing." Something about the way she said it made it that he obviously didn't believe her.

"Rogue, I hear Draco wants the three of us to have a little three-way tonight. You know, candles, hot oil and some silk ties. You interested?" At this point the whole table was paying attention. If it was the fact that Rogue was spacing out or the mention three-way Harry didn't know. And really, he didn't think he want to.

At his words the only response she was gave was a vague ok. She hadn't even turned her head to acknowledge was actually listening.

The entire table broke out at this and this time she did turn to see what was going on. She found everyone was laughing so hard most were grabbing their sides to try and keep themselves from falling out of their chairs. The only three who were not full out laughing were Draco, Reana and Poitr. Draco cause he was almost leering at the possibility, Reana cause she looked ready to jump Rogue for taking Draco's attention from her and Poitr cause he just wasn't the type to laugh as such. He was though shaking a bit from a tiny bit of laughter. Even the normally quiet and shy giant was finding this amusing.

"So Rogue, any little fantasy's you would like to share and maybe later_ share_?" Draco asked with a raised brow.

"Huh?"

Being the first one to come out of the laughter enough to talk Harry was the one who spoke next. "You were kind of spacing out there. Everything ok?"

"Well, I was wantin' to talk to the Professor but good old Jackie boy hasn't left his side." Harry followed her gaze back to the rocker talking with the school's founder. All the other teachers had left and it was only the two now but Harry understood why Rogue wouldn't be able to go over there. They looked so intense intheir conversation you would think they were planning a battle or something.

"So?" He ignored what was obvious reasons why not to go over. "If it's something you need to talk to the Professor then I'm sure he wouldn't care. What do you need to talk to him about?" Another thing that was obvious was she _really _seemed to want to talk to him.

"Well, I wanted to tell him about the ring." Harry noticed she was absently playing with it around her finger. "Maybe see if he could ask Harker to work on one that wouldn't wear out."

"Ah." Now he understood why she looked ready to jump out of her chair the first chance she got. Anyone could hear the longing in her voice. Even Amanda looked sympathetic towards the one person Harry had ever seen her not like. It was easy to figure out that this was the one thing she wanted, longed for and now, when it never had been possible it the past, now that it may be possible for the southern bell she was going to do whatever she needed to do.

"Then go over there. This is something important Rogue. I'm sure whatever they are talking about they would put on hold for a few minutes. Xavier would understand this."

She hesitated for a second even though she seemed to be reassured by his words. It was Amanda who surprisingly spoke next. "Just go. I would hate to have to force Kurt to port you over there."

While Kurt looked scandalized it seemed it was what was needed to get Rogue to go. She jumped up and they all watched as she walked over and hesitantly interrupted Xavier. What shocked Harry though was the other man, Jackie Rogue called him, seemed to have stayed for this conversation as well. After a few second Harry turned back to the table to find all there watching him.

"What?"

"Nothing. So, when are you going to tell her you have fallen for her?" Hermione had planned her question perfectly, right as he was taking a drink. Her perfect timing worked out with him spraying half the table in butterbeer.

"What?! I don't, you can't possible believe, it's not like- It's never going to happen!"

"Why not Harry? If Harker can make a ring like she did that would be permanent then there really would be nothing to stop you two."

"But I can't." This was the one thing he knew more than anything. He had always been the center of danger, even when it didn't have anything to do with Voldemort. And now with the whole raw magic thing he really didn't think it was a great idea to add in another person to his life that could be harmed because of him. And with her power, if even one accident happened, he couldn't even think about what all could go wrong. Her power mixed in wiht what was going on with him, yeah, he didn't even want to think about it. While he couldn't make his friends go away and he didn't want to, he didn't think he could bring someone in as far as to be more than a friend. It always seemed the ones the closest were the ones hit hardest.

"But you care about her Harry, it obviously with how you practically stare after her every time she's around. I don't see why not to just-"

"Do you really think I have that luxury Ron. Out of everyone here I am the worst person to know let alone be with. Besides, I doubt she would want anything like that anyway."

"Potter, you really are the dumbest person I know. Get over your little idea of being the wounded hero and for once do what you want."

"Whatever." He turned away from them to watch all the people who had gotten up to dance. It wasn't the band but some cd's being played while they were getting ready. He couldn't tell anything about who it was up there, only vague shapes. He could have opened his senses but at the moment he really didn't feel like it. He simply watched as the figures set up their instruments and prepared the stage. In the back if his mind though could tell all of his friends were looking at him but they knew when to drop something with him.

"Draco." Looking up he saw Reana had latched herself to the blonds arm again, pressing herself tightly into his side to give an greater view of her chest. He also noticed the glares and sneers from all of the other girls around table. Even Kurt looked disgusted. "Come dance with me. It's really boring right here and I want you to see _exactly_ how I can move."

If she had been trying to be seductive she had failed. Horridly. Draco had only glanced at her before looking back at towards the table. "No thank you Rita." That was all he said before he started to talk again with the others. Not caring at all that his response seemed to have perturbed the Ravenclaw, while not getting her name right sent her through the roof.

"It's Reana." She said hotly and then the girl was gone, marching away from the table and soon finding someone else to dance with and very closely at that. Draco all the while never noticed a thing. He just continued to talk to them all. But when Harry looked closely he saw an almost far away look, as though he were thinking about something in the farthest corner of his mind that had nothing to do with anything in front of him. Harry had no idea as to what this was or what to do so he let it go. Looking around though he saw Amanda eyeing Draco and guessed the young aristocrat wasn't as lucky with her as he was with himself.

"So Draco? Can I ask exactly who was your first choice for tonight? Reana is nice and all-" Her voice though made it clear she thought otherwise. "but I'm guessing you weren't in a such a hurry to ask out a girl you can't even remember the name of."

Draco hesitated. This was the first time that Harry had ever known him that he saw Draco flustered. The cold Malfoy mask hardly ever fell, even in the past few months and when it did it was a sneer or a look of hatred that took it's place. This was rare. This was absolutely priceless. It only lasted a second though, not enough time for Hermione to find her camera she had been looking for or for any of the others except for a few to recognize. He soon found his cool face and became the Malfoy they knew again.

"My first choice was Harker, but after she said declined I soon found Reana didn't have a date and seeing as she is acceptable, I asked her." And back was the snobby and obscenely annoying Mafloy, pride of the wizarding purebloods. With his nose stuck in the air it was hard to tell he was actually a little hurt in the whole thing.

No one said anything to the comment about Reana being acceptable. They all seemed to only be able to relay one look. Shock, that's all Harry could sum up the looks of all the mutants at the table. Even Piotr looked ready to fall out of her chair while Kitty actually did. The one to find their voice first was surprisingly Kurt. "You asked out 'arker?"

"Yes but she declined, like I said."

"Three times too." Hermione piped out. Harry didn't know Hermione could smirk like that. It reminded him scarily of the person who was being given the Spanish Inquisition. It was actually a very interesting sight seeing Draco being faced with the same smirk he had perfected over the years and he, Harry could tell, had no idea how to deal with it.

"I didn't hear her properly is all."

"Yes, I can see how that would happen. I believe you thought she was play hard to get. It was only be being thrown to the ground that you finally gave up. Although I don't think she actually said anything as she was walking away did she?" Hermione asked so innocently Harry almost believed it. Almost.

"Vait, exactly 'ow did you end up on the ground?" Kurt asked.

"She threw him after he grabbed her arm. You wouldn't think someone so small would be able to throw someone like Draco so easily." Hermione said all this with a casualness air while Draco simply looked ready to murder. It seemed Hermione might have been getting a little bit of revenge for all the times Draco had called her muddblood over the years Harry guessed. Or this was a very odd way of showing friendship. By the looks the Slytherin Prince was shooting her he guessed not. He and all the others were brought out of their speculations when Amanda practically screamed her next question.

"You _TOUCHED _Harker!!" Amanda had yelled so loud every table within fifteen feet started to look over at them. The others seemed to be as shocked and confused as her. Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw that the rocker who had been talking to Professor Xavier had stopped and turned towards them. Again that familiar feeling came over him and he was really starting to wonder what it was about. He knew he had seen him before but he just couldn't place it.

"Yes and I landed on my backside because of it too." Draco said affronted.

"No, I mean you _touched_ Harker? And your still alive?" She asked again.

"As far as I know yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"No one touches Harker. The last time someone did who wasn't a teacher or someone she actually liked they ended up in the infirmary for about two weeks." Poitr informed them.

"Why would she have such a reaction to people touching her. I mean, that's not a normal response is it?" Hermione asked.

"No one knows. She's just always been like that. It used to be much worse actually." Poitr answered.

"Your lucky, either she was in a really good mood or she actually likes you. Though when your talking about Harker neither are very likely." Kitty said shyly with a look towards Amanda, a little but nervous after earlier.

Reluctantly though she seemed to agree. "True-"

Amanda was never able to finish what she was saying because right then Rogue came back over to the table, followed closely by none other than the rocker Jackie. She took her seat while he came to stand by Amanda. Kurt, usually was very protective over her almost to the point of being territorial whenever anyone of the male population came within five feet of her, made no notion of being so with him. Even though Jackie was standing very closely Kurt neither said anything or used his usual growl.

"Hey Amanda, you doin' good?" His voice was very deep, yet very clear. The kind that would make all the girls swoon. Now that he was closer Harry could see him more clearly. The punk rocker was probably in his early twenties and had a lot more tattoo's than Harry had been able to see from across the room. Also he had on a little bit of eyeliner which was something Harry had never seen on a man other than on some of the music videos Dudly had watched. Unlike the ones dancing about and singing about all the pain, the one in front of him was very subtle about it and in a way almost elegant. When he had talked Harry had been able to get a glimpse of something metal protruding from his tongue. Briefly he wondered how the man was able to talk with the piercing.

"Pretty good actually Jack. Hey, have you met these guys? This is Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy and this is the all famous and all wonderful Harry Potter." She had pointed to all of them when she was introducing them but when she had gotten to Harry she started to raise her voice and sound exactly like how she had when they first met. Yet even though she was sounding like an adoring fan there was something else, very subtle at that, that lingered in her voice. Harry wanted to say in sounded almost like a warning tone when she spoke his name but it was only a hint and he couldn't fathom why there would be a need for it so he dismissed it as simple imagination on his part.

"Ah, so these are the war heroes I keep hearing about. It's a pleasure to meet you all. Hey Amanda, I've noticed someone isn't here tonight. You care to tell me about that?"

"Oh, you know Harker. Did you really expect her to come?"

"Well yes actually." He chucked at something he only seemed to know and then it hit Harry, where he knew him from. It was his laugh. He had heard it before. In the final battle the one that seemed to laugh louder and earlier than all the others, seemingly both at the situation and at something else. He was also the one that had screamed for the one that had protected them all. Had yelled for Impasse, had yelled for Harker.

"Yeah, well I always thought you were missing something in the head. This just proves it."

At this he merely laughed. "Yeah, well." He left off with another laugh. "Anyway, I've got a show to do. Talk to you later and hey, I may just have a surprise for you. Hey Kurt, can I talk with you for a second."

"Yeah man, sure." The two walked away, all eyes from the table following them. Jack stopped in front of the stage and then the two started to talk. No on could tell what they were saying, just some words exchanged and a lot of nodding on Kurt's part. Within a minute Jack was walking around the back of the stage and Kurt was coming back over to them.

"What did he want?"

"Nothing, nothing." Whatever was said had left the blue man pale though, controversy to what he had just said. For a dude covered in blue, that was an amazing feat. Harry was just about to ask him what was really wrong when suddenly an echo sounded out.

Soon all the hall began to become quiet and the lights on the stage were the only ones left. Soon they all saw Jack walk on, crossing in front of Sam's younger brother on his way to the mike at the front of the stage. Sam too had wings like the pair which Draco had on him except his were red-colored. They had all heard from Sam, who cared a lot for all his family, that he also had a very fast healing rate. Not as fast as Logan's but still pretty fast. Harry thought his name was Jay but couldn't be a hundred percent sure. Sam had almost as many sibling as Ron did and it was a little hard to keep them all in order, especially when you never met them.

Along with the two of them were a few others. On the drums was none other than Keller himself. His costume was in a way very funny. He was dressed as Harry with a scar painted messily on his head and in obscenely baggy clothes and a pair of broken glasses hanging from his nose. It was obvious he was trying to be offensive in his choice of wardrobe but Harry didn't care. It would only matter to him if somehow it got back to Rita Skeeter and she wrote some long winded article on how fashionable it was to dress like Harry Potter. He could just imagine it and then for the next ten years every time he would go out on Halloween it would be only to see a dozen copy's of himself. He hoped and prayed to all holy things above that no one here had an international owl.

"Just say the word and he'll have bat wings growing off of his-"

"It's ok Ron. I actually find it rather funny. He dressed up as the one wizard he hates most. Don't you see any irony in that?" At seeing his point Ron began to snigger a bit. For the rest of the night he would do so when ever he looked anywhere near the other boy.

The last was a girl who looked a little bit older than the others. Alison Blaire. There were several of the mutant student who had posters in their rooms of her and Harry couldn't remember how many times he had been pulled here or there since he met Amanda to listen to some song of hers. Every single girl swooned anytime her name was mentioned while the guys rolled their eyes. She was every teen girls ideal here. Harry would never admit it but he actually did like her music, but it's just like every guy it was in his principles to deny it to his dieing day.

Turning his attention back to the singer he listened to his opening words. "Hey everyone. God, It's good to be back here. Well I suppose I better start this off, and here to do just that is the song Knocking on Heavens Door."

[ Knockin' on Heaven's Door by: Bob Dylan]

The song was sung and every person in the hall was dancing. Harry though found himself very nervous. He didn't know how to dance this but where he lacked Rogue more than made up for. Soon with enough persistence on Rogue's part he began to loosen up and become more relaxed. While the two danced, Rogue and Harry were receiving looks throughout the song from students from both factions but neither noticed nor cared. Throughout the song both kept reminding themselves that the other was merely a friend. But both forgot as often as they were given self reminders and there were several times when a hand would linger or a touch would seem more than a simple touch.

When the song ended Jack began to speak to them all. "Alright, now that the first song is over it's time to make with the introductions. On the keys is the lovely and widely known Alison Blaire, alumni of the school and here as a special performance for tonight. On the drums is the a student still here and just soon to be X-Men Julian Keller. And base is the humble Jay Guthrie. Lead singer is myself, Jack Mercer." With each person the light around them would brighten and them dim when the next was introduced. When finished the entire stage was lit brightly and every other light in the hall blacked out other than one or two per each table.

"That last song was a classic and now here's another." And so the songs lasted for a least another hour before they all had stopped to take a break. When they came back though instead of starting another song everyone on the stage stayed still until everyone in the hall become quiet. It was noted then Kurt seemed to be missing. That fact that Jack was starting off the new set with an announcement and that Kurt was gone set off more than a few alarms in Harry's head._ Why do I have a feeling something bad is going to happen and that a least one person is going to get hurt?_

* * *

Hehehe, aw I'm cruel but not that cruel. When I wrote this chapter it started off twice as long as this and I had to split it. So with this update there are two chapters here. Enjoy the next one.


	9. But Wait, Whose the Bad Guy?

Yo, here it is, chapter number 9.

* * *

Jack's voice sounded out through the hall, demanding attention from all. "Alright everyone, now that I have all your guy's attention I have an announcement to make. I've notice that there isn't someone here tonight and I find that to be a damn shame. Such a shame I've had one of you guys go and get her for me so that she can help sing the next song tonight-''

"You don't think?" Hermione started.

"He wouldn't, right?" Ron pick off, sounding vaguely scared.

"Hey, guys? Where's Kurt?" Amanda finished. _Oh yes, _Harry thought,_ this is not going to end with someone getting hurt. It's going to end with someone being maimed. No wonder he was scared earlier if this is going to turn out like how I think it is._

Then on the stage, right in the middle, a puff of blue smoke appeared. There was Kurt, right up there, and besides him was a very, very irritated looking Harker. She still had absolutely no emotions on her face but if you really looked you could see her body was a little tense and her eyes were a tiny bit more closed than normal. She wasn't wearing a costume obviously but a pair of loose fitted jeans and a few less layers of shirts than was usual for her. Instead of a good few long sleeve shirt she was only wearing a tank top with an over shirt that wasn't buttoned up. She obviously had just thrown it on and from the rest of her apparel Harry would say she was dressed merely for comfort. Hell, she didn't even have any shoes or socks on. It seemed Kurt most likely had just simply grabbed her before appearing on stage. It was wondered by more than a few if he was going to actually make it off.

The next thing that happened didn't shock anyone. Harry saw Harker take a sudden step towards the fur ball and he really began to worry for the blue man when Kurt was suddenly gone as quick as he had come and then he was three feet away from him, standing/hiding under Amanda's arm.

"Please Amanda, you 'ave to save me!" The entire thing made for a bit of a funny sight. A blue gangsta dude hiding behind his sweet and innocent little girl friend for protection. Yes the whole image was quite funny.

"No way fur ball." She threw off his arm then, crossing her own. "You went and pissed her off and now you get to deal with her. Good luck." At this, Kurt groaned and the entire school laughed. Turning their attention back up to the stage the saw that Jack was physically holding Harker from walking off. Harry and the others were just waiting for her to have at him when to their surprise she merely stopped struggling. She actually aloud him to walk her over to the mike.

"Now, my dearest and most wonderful little friend here is going to enlighten everyone here as to the real reason why she decided to skip tonight. I asked her a week ago to sing a song with me and she actually said yes-"

"Only after about three hours of listening to your voice." She said numbly but still being able to carry a large amount of venom but Jack seemed to take no affect from it, if anything only becoming more cheerful.

"-only to not be here." He continued as though nothing was said. "Well, I think it's about time for that song you promised hey princess?"

"When this is over, I'm going to kill you." She was so serious Harry believed her and from what Amanda was talking about earlier, he could actually see her doing it. Holding the mike, she turned towards the audience.

Then right before the music began, he answered back smirking all the while. "Love you too."

Then it started. It was Keller with the drums that started it off and within a few second her voice began in. Never had Harry ever seen any emotion in on her face, anything that was a true one anyway. Never did her eyes ever give anything she was thinking away, yet her voice here, right here did. It gave something away, some emotion and secret that Harry just couldn't understand.

[: Song by Nine Inch Nails; All The Love In The World. Imagine a girl's voice singing it. :]

' _Watching all the insects march along '_

' _Seem to know just right where they belong '_

' _Smears a face reflecting in the chrome '_

' _Hiding in the crowd I'm all alone '_

' _No one heard a single word I've said '_

' _They don't sound as good outside my head '_

' _It looks as though the past is here to stay '_

' _I've become a million miles away '_

' _Why do you get all the love in the world? ' _

Jack and Allison's voice started out in the chorus, joining hers. Jay's voice following behind a second later seeming to make it sound like an echoing in response to theirs.

' _Why do you get all the love in the world? ' _

Jack sang along with them yet he looked out into the audience right at Harry. He had never seen such hatred before, not even when facing Voldemort. Suddenly the hall seemed wrong, just like he shouldn't be there.

' _Why do you get all the love in the world? '_

He felt like he was just suddenly full of despair, loneliness and confusion. Not understanding any of what he was feeling, he deciding it was nothing and merely tried to shrug it off and then proceeded to listen to the rest of the song. Looking around he saw that everyone was merely listening and that no one actually seemed to be dancing to it.

' _All the jagged edges disappear '_

' _Colors all the brighter when you near'_

' _The stars are all afire in the sky, ' _

She looked then it seemed against her will right at him and suddenly the world began to fall away. Suddenly his head was on fire, his scar burning like it had when Voldemort was still alive.

' _Sometimes I get so lonely I could ' _

Harry grabbed his scar. The second he did Harker looked away though he didn't see. He was crunched in on himself, eyes scrunched up and kneeling over. "Ahhhhh!"

"Harry, what's wrong?" Rogue's voice sounded from his side. There was a scuffling and he vaguely was able to make out the boots in front of him. Ron's and Hermione's.

"My scar, it's burning!" With Rogue on his arm, he began to walk towards the doors, fleeing the hall. No one noticed them except for three people, two of which were singing on the stage.

' _Why do you get all the love in the world? '_

' _Why do you get all the love in the world? '_

' _Why do you get all the love in the world? '_

' _Why do you get all the love in the world? '_

' _Why…'_

The rest of the worlds were lost as the left the hall into the quiet and still hall. There was no one out there and only very vague bits of sound were able to follow them out. Harry leaned against the wall, easing on to it, worn out from the little experience that just occurred. He thought that this was all over. His scar hadn't so much as twinge since the final battle. The only thing that ever made it was Vol-

"Harry!" Looking up he noticed that Rogue and Hermione were both yelling at him. He guessed they probably had been trying for a while. In the back of his mind he noted that the song was now ending it seemed.

"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked, sounding so worried and really, she should have been. He thought all this had been over!

"I will be. Rogue, do you think it would be alright if you got me some water? It might help my head."

"Yeah, sure. I'll be righ' back." And with that, she entered the hall again. As she did Jack's voice leaked out but soon was gone again, and not a word having been made out. Turing to his friends he almost wanted to grieve. He knew exactly what this meant, and if he told them then they would too. They would again be pulled right into the middle of something that people their age never should be involved in. Nevertheless, he had to. If there was anyone who could make any sense out of this it was them.

Opening his mouth, he told them. "My scar, it all of a sudden just started to burn."

It took a moment for his words to sink in. When they did though he knew. The look of horror and the whitening of their faces kinda gave it away.

"Are you sure? Maybe you're just having a really bad headache. Yeah, that music was really loud and-"

"It wasn't the music Ron. It was just like before, like whenever Voldemort was around." Ron could only shake his head; he didn't want to believe it. Harry couldn't blame him but he continued on. "I felt it Ron. I know what it was and it wasn't a headache. It was him."

"But he can't be here can he? He's dead for one and the school! The school has those shields around it. Everyone says Harker shields are impenetrable. How could he-"

"It was almost like it was a Horcux, only just a part of him. Maybe we missed one and somehow it got into the school?" It was the only explanation he could think for this. They knew Voldemort's body was gone. He himself had destroyed it and it front of everyone. There hadn't even been any dust left behind.

"But why now? What could have suddenly set your scar off after this much time?"

Thinking back, he went over what happened in his head. He was listening to the song. Jack looked pissed at him, which he didn't understand since he didn't even know the man, and then Harker looked at him- "It's Harker! Whatever is going on has something to do with her. She was looking right at me and me at her when it happened. It was almost like Qurriel all over except a thousand times worse."

"If she was possessed or had some part of him on her then why has this only happened now? She's been here nearly two weeks and she merely glances at you and you practically black out? I'm not so sure mate."

"What else then! I was looking right at her when it happened and her at me. What if it's like with Ginny in second year or Qurriel after he return from Romania. She was gone who knows where, she might not even know what's going on."

"But you've talked to her at least two times before, alone, and nothing happened. I don't think-" Before she could say anything else Rogue appeared, followed by both Draco and Harker. The three of them exchanges looks, wondering exactly what was going to happen next.

_..............................................oOoOo.............................................._

Draco had been dancing almost the entire time with Reana, who he had found after the first song, and just before Harker had come to the stage he had excused himself for a breather. His date had paid no mind to him leaving and merely found another partner. So when the sudden announcement was made of someone coming to sing on stage and a puff of blue smoke appeared to reveal an irritated Harker, he was in a very shadowy part of the room where he could watch, all while being unseen.

He like everyone had expected her to attack the singer who had been the reason for her to be brought here, especially when he had grabbed her to keep her from going after Kurt. When she merely let him lead her towards the mike though Draco was shocked. Her words eased his mind fractionally but then his response, 'love you too' sent his mind spinning. Was this punk involved with her? Then he realized that earlier he had called her princess. She had smiled that night only after he called her the same. It sounded like any other word used as a show of affection but suddenly he hated it. He suddenly felt jealous. Why was he better than him, why couldn't he have been the one to be chosen?

Then her voice sounded out and he heard something that was awing. Her voice and singing weren't the best, hell he thought, she would never earn a career from it, but it was the emotion in it that shocked him. He didn't know which was the larger factor in it, that there was any emotion there or that it was so raw and powerful it made him want to weep for her. The question that was asked repeatedly throughout the song, _why do you get all the love in the world_, made him wonder exactly who she was talking about. He knew it was no simple song for her or else there would not be such emotion behind it.

Suddenly he wanted her a thousand times more. He wanted to protect her, to be with her, to love her. The final one scared him though. He'd never cared before beyond getting one of his conquests into bed and here he was wanting a girl he had only seen practically in passing, who in one conversation had ended with him on his back side while she simply walked away. But now, now there was nothing he could imagine that would ever make him want something so simple and crass as a stupid fling with this girl. He truely wanted for the first time more, and no musical bastard was going to stop him from getting what he wanted.

He continued to watch them perform the song, the kid on base and the women on the keyboard and the main singer, the retched ingrate, sang backup. They too held emotion but not like hers, merely an echo to her original cries. Then though, he saw something very interesting. The one who seemed to hold her heart, enough to say he loved her was suddenly seething, directing it all at one person in which confused him. Harry Potter was now finding himself the attention of rage of a complete stranger. He did as Harry did and simply shrugged it off. Maybe he could very well be another Keller.

Then though something happen that he couldn't pass off. Harker also seemed to have caught on to the spiked haired singer's actions and seemingly against her will looked at the boy who was in the others attention. In that instant Harry began to hunch over in apparent pain, but then to his further shock so did Harker. She did not slump over or have to be helped out of the hall. In fact, it was almost impossible to have been able to see any difference. However, there had been for a split second pain in her eyes and that was enough. Her face had scrunch in pain but then disappeared but her hand did come up to clench her chest. It seemed to all as merely a gesture to highlight that which she was singing but he could tell different. As she ended her part in the song, the others still echoing behind her, he noticed in the back of his mind she was clutching something around her neck. He summed it up to something, a gift perhaps of that damn singer's.

Before the song ended the entire hall erupted in cheers. While Harker wasn't the best singer the song it's self had been beautiful. They all bowed to the cheers and then Harker had begun to walk off the stage, not before though she had whispered something in the singers' ear and him something to her. While she had simple stated to walk away he seemed to have paled a tinge and looked a little solemn. Good.

He followed her as she walked through the crowd. He heard the next song start up(Collector by: Nine Inch Nails) and saw several people comment to her about her song but she paid no mind, merely walking past them, seemingly on a path outside to the hall.

He had just caught up to her when she reached the doors and before she could reach out to walk out them he stepped in front of her and leaned back against the doors, preventing her from leaving.

He said nothing to her, waiting for her to speak first. He must have waited a full minute before she finally spoke on deadpanned word. "Yes?"

He smiled inwardly at his triumph, though outwards he showed nothing but a small smile. He didn't think it best to perturb her again. He had no wish to be laid out flat a second time. "I just wanted to say how well of a job you did up there. While your voice wouldn't win a single contest, what was seen up there was quite amazing."

"Oh, and what did you see?" Good, she didn't seem upset about him not saying any false praise and actually admitting her voice bit.

"The emotion to it. I think that is the first time I've seen you show any signs of actually having any." He would be honest with her. That was the best plan he thought of actually getting in anyway close to her was to never bullshite her. He wasn't going to take any chances when it came to her. She was too important.

Again, it was silent between them for a bit until she began to talk. He felt something in the back of his mind but he ignored it in preference to paying attention to the one in front of him, thinking it most likely was nothing.

"Thank you. One thing I hate it false flattery or bullshit." Geez, took the words right out of his mind practically. Wait. "Now if you wouldn't mind." She indicated to the door behind him with a slight tilt of her head. He was about to move when he felt it again. Something prying its way into his mind looking for something.

He immediately raised his occlumeny shields and the last thing he felt from the presences was sharp recoil. Though she showed no signs of it, he was sure the one responsible for the breach was right in front of him. "You know, it's considered rude to look inside of another's mind without their permission." He felt it again, trying to get back in and soon his annoyance turned to furiousness.

He was about to ask her what happened on stage when a hurried looking Rogue appeared.

"Out a the way Draco." Before he could move though she practically shoved him out of the way. As she walked through the door he noticed the glass of water she was holding. It was then Harker walked through the door that he too left the hall behind. After he walked a few step down the corridor he saw that the golden trio were out there as well and the he took in Harry's appearance when Rogue handed him the water. His face looked drawn and even with the ice he could tell he looked very pale. Hermione and Ron looked that way too but Harry seemed to be practically leaning on the wall for support. Draco had no doubt that if he wasn't he would have been on the ground.

"Harry, what the hell happened?" He remembered how he had hunched over in pain but that was at least five minutes ago. And nothing he could think of would explain why the other two looked so afraid.

Harry at the others words started to take Draco in, studying him. He trusted Hermione and Ron with his life but he didn't know if he did Draco with this. Yes, he had only joined the Death Eaters because of his family but would he again if given the chance? He wanted to believe he was a good enough friend, but if he wasn't then he could possibly use anything they said against him later.

Then though he actually saw Draco. He looked worried, not only about him self but also about Hermione and Ron which Harry noted looked like were about to fall over. No longer was the first year schoolboy they once all knew but someone different, someone who they could trust and Harry did trust him. Looking around though he saw Rogue was there and a little far off so was Harker. He couldn't tell anything from her, her usual blank face plastered up. He needed a way to tell Draco without telling the other two.

It was Hermione who saw this and found just that. "Remember those head aches he would get in fourth year?" Draco paled but nodded, looking only at Harry. He seemed to be pleading with his eyes for it not to be true, for him to tell him it was something different. Again Harry wished he could, that he was able to tell anything anther than the truth but he knew he couldn't. "We think it might have been one of those you know?"

"You mean-"

"Yeah, I do. But I'm fine now." With a quick look at the other two he told Draco that this wasn't to be talked around them. He nodded that he understood but then Harker came into view.

"I hope you feel well. Goodnight. Oh" She turned towards Rogue. "Xavier asked by the way. I'll look into it." She started to take a few steps away before Rogue called out to her.

"Harker?" At hearing her name Harker stopped and turned but made no move to come any but closer. She merely raised a brow asking silently what it was Rogue wanted.

"I just, I s'pose I wanted to just say thank ya, for the ring that is all and for trying to do more about it. I know you really don' care for me and well, anyway, thank ya." Though her words were awkward and stumble over there was only sincerity in Rogue's voice and everyone there knew it. She was being honest in her thanks and Harker from what Harry could see in the dimly lit hall seemed confused. Had no one ever thanked her for something before or had she merely never done anything to be thanked for?

All of a response that was given was a nod of a her head before Harker started down the hall again. Walking down the hall they all watched her go. She might have been the key to understanding what was happening but she seemed to be a lock of her own, shut up so tight it would be impossible to ever get through to the answers, both hers and that which came about in those that would answer what happened to Harry. They needed those answers though. They would just have to be very careful of how went about getting them.

After a few minutes of quietness amoung the three Rogue seemed unable to take it anymore."Well, I don't know about ya guy but I heard they was goin' to announce the winners in the contest soon. Come on." And with that, they put what just happened to the back of their minds. Walking back into the dinning hall they saw that Professor Xavier and Professor Dumbledore were on the stage addressing the student about the winners.

"-and while everyone who tried did a wonderful job it was decided that a certain group of individuals went far and beyond. Their costumes are so like the originals that even I would be hard pressed to tell the difference between them and the original X-Men team. The winners for the Halloween contest are Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley for their almost exact replicas of the original X-Men team." There was a lot of applause and somewhere in the blur that happened the four had received their fake crowns and made it back to the dance floor. Music started up again and all the students, Harry and Rogue and all their friends, danced the rest of the night away. Only when it was a bit passed midnight did Harry and the rest depart, going separate ways strait from the door since the wizard dorms and the mutant ones were at different ends of the school.

As they were walking along, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco, they walked at a slow and relaxed pace, in no hurry to end the night. The event's of Harry's scar put to the back of their heads in a unanimous decision to leave it until the next day. It wasn't until they came within sight of the common rooms that anything was spoken. It in turn ended up being Draco who was usually the quiet one of the four who did so.

"Hey, why don't we walk around some? It just doesn't seem right to end the night so early."

"Draco, it's almost one thirty." Even through Hermione's observations they decided to continue past their dorms and simply walk around the school. They knew they wouldn't be caught so long as Harry kept his new sixth sense out and ready.

It turned out that somehow the four had managed to end up closer to the mutant side of the school in their little bout around. They had only ever been there on the few occasions in which Kurt or Amanda had dragged them there but they knew that at the moment they were close to the rec-room were most of the mutants spent their extra time watching the TV or simply hanging out. It shocked them though when they found that it wasn't as deserted as they knew it should have been. Inside they could make out sounds that were the voices of a few of the mutant professors. What shocked them more though was that the television also was on and what exactly it was saying. It was it's words that were the ones that were more prominent at the moment to the others.

"Look at the news." Was that Harker?

"…earlier today news was made when a convicted killer was suddenly released. Known for his crimes committed against mutants, it came as a shock when he was released when supposedly all the evidence was found none conclusive to the case-"

"If he's out then-" What sounded like the African teacher Munroe who was cut off the kind hearted red headed one, Grey Harry thought she was called.

"We have on our hands a very big problem. Professor, if he's out then-"

"I know Jean. Ever student here is in sever danger, especially considering his actions last time."

"What are we going to do? Should we go on lock down maybe? It's possible the first thing he'll do is go after them and some like Kitty won't be able to handle that." Concern coated a male voice that none of the four could pick out.

"That just may be the wisest thing to do Scott."

"What about the magical students? They might get hurt or worse if they stay here. You know he'll take down anything he deems involved with us. Maybe they should leave, it would be better for them, safer."

"I don't think that would be wise, not now while they could easily be seen leaving and then followed back or even discovered. He may hate us but what do you think he would do if he ever found out that witches were real. I'll have to talk to Albus about this tonight."

There was silence for a second, the gravity of what was being said being felt by the four listening in the hall but soon was broken when the sound of crashing furniture rang out. "How could they let him out!? That murderin' bastard should have been locked up for the next hundred life times yet here he is walkin' away free, free to come after children again with nothin' to stop him!"

"Calm down Logan, we'll get down to the bottom of this but in the mean time we must keep our heads about all this. We have to prepare for anything and most of all stay calm if only for the children."

"Oh god, the children, we have to tell them. How can we tell them this?" Miss Grey sounded completely lost and desperate. It was the war all over again for Harry. Never had he ever heard that combination of emotions other than at some of the worst times of the war, when all thought everything was lost. Hearing it now only heightened his worry about whatever was going on. Who ever this person was, they could inflict these emotions on a room full of people who had to have fought so often in their lives from what Harry perceived that one would think such things and fear would have been irrelevant at this point.

"Yes, we'll have to tell them in the morning. For now though why don't you all get some rest. I do believe that tomorrow we are going to need it. Hank, if you will? Would you mind contacting a few of you friends in Was-" Whatever else was said was lost in a flurry of sound indicating the entirety of the occupants beginning to leave mixed in with their own hush words. The four soon hurried off not wishing to be found right outside the doorway but not before one last bit could reach them, answering the question they all were thinking.

"Just what anyone of the kids needs, the threat of William Stryker hanging over all of our heads."

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed and please review!!


	10. And So The Board Is Set

AN: Hey, everyone who is reading thank you all for all the reviews and all who sign up for the alerts or put me on there fav's, everytime I got one of those emails telling me I smiled. Well, I shall no longer delay this long awaited chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

The next morning everything seemed soaked in a somber attitude when people walked in to the dinning hall for breakfast. Though most didn't know the cause for these events, there were four who did. As Harry looked around he cursed. This wasn't suppose to be happening anymore. People where no longer supposed to be scared like this, from things they didn't even know about! He thought that all of this, everything that had happened during the war was over and done with and that he would never ever have to witness this again. Looking around he saw that same image he had in fourth year, right before it was told to the students that Voldemort was alive again. This time however it wasn't just magical students who were frightened but mutants as well.

When Xavier called for silence it must have been out of formality Harry thought, since no one was talking to begin with.

"Hello everyone and good morning." He was trying to keep the mood cheerful, lessen the blow. Looking around he saw it didn't work. Every student in the school was there, even Harker along with the singer from last night and not a one seemed to fall for it. If anything it only worsened it. "I have an announcement that is truly of great importance." He gave up any pretenses of cheerfulness here, either because he didn't think it appropriate or he just couldn't do it. "Last night, it was released to the news that William Stryker was released from prison."

At this every mutant in the hall was in an uproar. Some yelling obstinacies and others practically crying. Looking down the table Harry saw that Kitty seemed to have totally zoned out with a clear look of fear on her face. Poitr was slowly rocking her and whispering to her but none seemed to have any affect.

Again Harry found himself wondering who exactly was this guy. This was on par if not worse than fourth year. Then there had been fear but that was from things learned in history lessons and what their parents spoke about. This, this seemed in some way more real. Harry got the very distinct impression that everyone here know who he was not by mentions of him but by being the directly affect of this man's action. Glancing over at Kitty he found him assumptions right when he heard her mutter something that sounded like 'not again'.

"Everyone, calm down. He may be free but I assure you everything is being done to insure that you all are safe. As of right now, the school is on lockdown and no one can come in or out without first being approved by myself personally. Every security measure we have is being looked over to make sure there are no weak spots and upgraded to the highest possibility. Now, in regards to all the magical student here."

And here Dumbledore took over. "It had been suggested by Professor Xavier that it may have been wise for us to leave, seeing as the danger is focused on the mutant rather than us wizards. That will not be happening. While leaving in the middle of the year would be horrible on you all academic wise, I also believe that whatever they may face, they and us will be better off if we stand together in this. They have helped us in the past and so we shall help them now." Taking his seat he watched the reaction this had on his students. He was amazed that some reacted in the same way that Xavier's student had, with outrage, but the vast majority had taken it with stride_. Little effected them in matters such as these when they have already fought and won a war themselves_ he mused.

"And for that we thank you." Xavier addressed. Something passed between the two, a look that Harry couldn't understand. But one thing he did was that neither of the two had their usual smiles in place. Usually that was a very bad sign. Turning back towards the students Xavier seemed to brace himself. Whatever he was about to say he thought was going to get an even bigger response than that of before.

"Now, while Stryker is out there and we do not have anything information on what exactly he is doing, it was thought best that others of our kind may come here for protection. I have made this offer to every mutant and anyone seeking protection may have it. Within the next few day, those of the Brotherhood and some of that of the Morlocks will be coming here." Now every one of the mutants were angry. Half the hall was yelling now, practically screaming at this. Whatever the importance here was, Harry felt he was going to have to find out soon.

"Everyone, calm down." Again with the calming down. It didn't seem to work this time around. Despite the elder mutant's calming tone this news was taken with extreme hostility by every single one of his student, some were even on chairs at the announcement. In the back of his mind Harry knew he had heard the name Brotherhood before but he couldn't place it. Hermione seemed to have seen him and understood his confusion.

"Some of the Brotherhood helped in the final battle. I can't tell you anything about whom the Morlocks are though."

"They're a group of mutants who unlike most of us, don't necessarily look normal." Amanda took to explaining. She glanced at Kurt who for the first time in the time they came to know the blue dude looked mad. True and unadulterated anger was pouring off her boyfriend and she seemed like she knew there was nothing she could have done to help. "Unlike us they can't blend into society so they have taken to hiding in the sewers."

"But why can't they just do what Kurt does? I would think Professor Xavier would be more than willing to help them." Hermione asked. It truly did seem like that would be the wisest thing to do if only their appearance was what caused them their problems.

"And he would be. But you see, some of the Morlocks don't _want_ to try and fit in, they usually generally hate normal people and they especially don't get along with us. They think somewhat along the lines that Magneto does. That us being an evolution of humans we are better. While they aren't as aggressive as the Brotherhood in their ideals they have caused problems before. But I can't say I blame them, the muggles haven't made life for them easy-"

"Problems, that vould be a very kind vay of puttin' in Amanda." He practically spit at her.

"Kurt-" She tried.

"Everyone, please." Xavier's voice sounded through the hall silencing all the children and he no longer sounded like the patient man he usually did. He was deeply annoyed at his students behavior and that was very clear to everyone in the hall. "I know everything that has passed between ourselves and them. I know why you would object to their coming here but this is the only safe place for them. While Stryker is out there and a possible threat to every mutant the doors to this institution will be open to _all_ who wish sanctuary." With those words he finished and turned away. He left no room for argument and with his last word an air of finality smashing came down. However, every mutant in the school was now talking about what was said; just without the yelling.

Looking around Harry tried to survey everyone yet his eyes came to the mutant across from him. Kurt was fuming. Nothing that Xavier had just said had calmed him in the least and for once he wasn't listening to Amanda.

"Kurt, please-"

"No Amanda. You know as vell as I that Calisto vill come as vell." He practically seethed the words at her. Everyone at the table, mutant and wizard alike recoiled from his words. Pure anger just pored off of him. He was nothing like the whimpering mess he was last night, hiding behind Amanda in fear. No one could see any of that. Amanda was the only one who seemed to not shun away from him but instead inched closer.

"Yes, but please clam down. This is not for forever, just until things are safe again."

"But vhen vill that be Amanda. You know as vell as I they vill do nothing but cause trouble. The first thing that vill happen is a fight and then there vill be more and more and more. It vill be nothing but chaos around here again."

"But please just-" But he didn't listen to what she had to say, he simply got up and ported away. Everyone at the table was shocked but Amanda merely shook her head an turned back to her breakfast.

"What was that about Amanda?" Harry asked concerned. It unnerved him to see his friend in such a state and though he would never admit it he also had been a bit scared. He knew Kurt very well and knew there was nothing to be scared about but see the blue man like that, well…

She just played with her food for a moment, seeming to have lost her appetite. "The leader or former leader, whatever she is now, really isn't the best… hell, she's a bitch and her and Kurt have a few problems. Actually almost everyone here as a problem with her."

"So he is just upset about one person? That seems a hard seeing as this is Kurt. He's like a big teddy bear." Ron asked. Everyone thought the same. Though he looked like a very demonic teddy bear he was still a teddy bear. He never lost his cool. In fact the only time Harry had ever seen the mutant not smiling or whimpering behind Amanda was when he was scaring of Keller away. Even then however he merely spoke in a cold manner but nothing to like what they had just seen. Not a single one of them really believed he had it in him to be so angered really. At least before two minutes ago.

"Believe me, in this he had a right to be mad. Please, let it alone. He'll tell you when he calms down." They all stopped asking questions about Kurt, but not about everything else. The morlocks and the one called Calisto were not talked about but Amanda couldn't stop them from asking about everything else. Seeing as they were going to be staying here she believed they had a right to know. However it was mostly Rouge and Poitr that explained everything. Amanda's attention was drawn elsewhere.

While the rest of the table were talking about everything that was going on Draco found himself drawn to a particular dark haired girl. Once he found her though his blood started to boil. Right next to Harker was the singer from last night and the two seemed to be very close to one another. The two partially had their heads attached to each other! They were huddled close and talking in low voices and it was the first time that Draco actually ever saw the girl have a really conversation that seemed to be more than three sentences with the other person.

Turning toward the nearest mutant he could find he calmed himself down and went about finding out what he had been wondering since last night. He found the only one not talking about serial killers and megalomaniac zealots was Amanda who was staring at a magazine that seemed to appear out of no where.

"Amanda, that man sitting with Harker, he was the singer from last night, correct?" The blond mutant looked up from her magazine and looked over to where he gestured. He noticed briefly that on the cover was Harry himself, looking nervous and like he was about to flee out of the picture. Not too far off, Harry never was one to want people to fawn over him Draco thought. He himself would have used it to his full advantage. Taking a closer look he saw that it the picture was from last night, from right before Harry had put the ice charm over himself to right after and in the corner was a smaller picture of Keller dressed ridiculously as Harry. In larger captions at the top were the words **Everybody Wants To Be A Prince!! **Turning his attention back to Amanda, slightly more wary than a second ago, he saw she had an almost malicious grin on her face.

"Yeah, that's Jack Mercer. He graduated a few years ago from here, Why, you interested?" He saw a certain gleam in her eyes that if he was anything other than a Malfoy may have made him uncomfortable.

"No, no. I prefer more civilized people to accompany me to my bed, thank you." He answered curtly, though now that there was actually decent light to see him in he could tell that he was quite handsome. By looks alone he would have been most wonderful to entertain himself Draco thought but as soon as the thought came it was shoved away as quickly. This was the person who seemed to be the only one actually close to the enigma in which he found himself attracted to. Damn if he wasn't finding himself becoming obsessed with the raven haired girl and finding himself vaguely annoyed by that fact. "Besides, while he is inadvertently seemingly attractive, he would seem to be in the company of one miss Harker. The two do look too close to be separated wouldn't you say?"

Amanda only grinned at this. She had seen how Draco had looked last night, all tucked away in the shadows as he had watched her friend. It was in a way refreshing seeing someone take an honest interest in Harker. Most either were repelled by her numb demeanor or were so lust filled they couldn't actually see anything other than the girls breasts(which really weren't all the great), and that phase would quickly turn into the former after a few words from the girl. But Draco, Draco seemed different. Now, she could still see lust there but it was mingled with something else. She couldn't place it but the fact he hadn't run in the opposite way was something. Most would have by now especially considering the whole being thrown fact. And the fact he was get jealous of Jack was simply in all rights hilarious.

"Not even close lover boy. The two are only friends. They are more like siblings than they would ever be lovers. The two in reality are all each other really have." She chuckled lightly. It was almost saddening how much that was true.

"How so?" Ah, no comment to the remark about being interested. She filed that away for later and thought about how Jack was reacting to that.

"When the two came here together the were all each other had. Jack had just seemed to have lost his family and Harker had no one at all. The two had a lot in common. And the fact the Harker was the only thing that kept Jack from going insane-"

"What do you mean insane. Is he using her in some way?" He was appalled that someone would do such a thing. It was ironic that he in the past had done just that a voice whispered in the back of his mind, to which he promptly shut up.

"No, it's just Jack couldn't control his ability at one point in time. He has the ability to hear and feel an entire city's thoughts and feelings. Harker is able to create shields not only around physical things but also around minds, keep other people out or for Jack, keeping the world out."

"Seems one sided to me." Thinking about it, it did. If he was only using her to keep his ability in check then Draco felt no reason why his hatred for the man should not multiply by the hundreds.

"Don't comment on what you don't understand Draco." Looking up he saw all the warmth and laughter that had been there merely a few seconds ago gone. Ah, yes, he forgot. Amanda seemed to be very protective of the girl. He might have remembered that, if only for the benefit of his health. "He long ago stopped needing her, but she though hasn't stopped needing him. If anyone is using someone it is her in regards to him." And with that she turned away. Leaving Draco to think over what was said. He turned back to the food in front of him but seemed to have lost all appetite. Seemed to be the theme for the morning really. Getting up he made to leave, all the while thinking about what it could be that Harker needed from the musician. She seemed like the type of person who would never allow themselves to depend on anyone.

As he walked through the doors to the hall outside Jack was staring at a very silent Harker. He had practically heard the entire conversation from Amanda's mind even though she knew how to keep him out. And he in turn had shown it to Harker. While the conversation had continued he noticed that she had become very quiet. Not in sound but in her mind. He didn't even have to be the awesome mind reader he was to see it, it was in her eyes. She looked how she did when she was closing herself off to the worlds. The announcement of Stryker had done nothing to her but one boy's attraction had reverted her back to how she was almost six years ago.

He decided to give her a few moments to start before he did. She knew by now exactly what he would say. He found though she seemed very uninterested in talking at the moment. So he did.

"Seems you have a certain wizard interested in you. At not only that but a very well off pureblood, top of the crop. Must be excited."

"You know I have never cared for such trivial things." She sounded so tired. Looking around he saw every student there alive and awake, most in very heated debates about the news. Even with his shields up he could feel the anger and fear. There were a few who were excited, liking the action that was bound to happen when the groups of rival mutants arrived. He cringed at that. There were going to be more problems now than he could even think of and Harker was going to be climbing the walls being locked up. Looking down at the girl he would almost think she was about to fall over. She looked so tired and he noticed she hadn't touch a bit of food.

"Ok, talk." He watch as she didn't even look up, did nothing but stared at the same spot she had been since the whole conversation started. Looking at her, he knew something was wrong. Harker never let anything grind her nerve like this and she never did not talk to him about something. "Harker-"

_It's nothing alright! _Suddenly her mind opened up, just to him, and she was almost yelling at him. Oh, ok. If she didn't want to be heard then this was fine, so long as she was talking to him.

_Yeah, that's why you threw the guy a week ago and the same one you asked me to read last night, which I'm still laughing about you getting caught so you know… Damn it Harker, what the hell did he do that is making you shut down on __**me! **_He was becoming very frustrated. There wasn't a time where she wouldn't tell him everything. It had been like that since the night they met. They trusted each other completely and her deciding all of a sudden that she wasn't going to now both saddened him and pissed him off.

_He's done nothing Jack, I swear._

_The Hell he has! _She had to be the worst women he knew. Seriously, no one was as evasive as the girl was.

She sighed. Harker never sighed. Oh shit. Either Mystique infiltrated the school and stupidly decided to play at being Harker or this was worse than he thought. Sudden thought, very violent in nature started to pop into his head about what he would do it he ever got his hands on the little pureblood brat.

_You want to know?_

_YES!!_ The girl didn't back away or say anything at his loud tone. She merely sat there and started off at the table. To anyone watching it would have looked like nothing was going on with her, that everything was normal for the girl. But it wasn't. Jack had known her since he was sixteen years old and through fights with the Brotherhood and arguments with other mutants and just being able to claim their little piece of a life he had never seen her this worn out, this dead looking, except for when they first met. What was such a threat that even he couldn't seem to see it, yet it was hitting her strait in the face?

In answer to his unasked question she thought in her numb monotone voice. _That boy, who yes I find vaguely interesting, is the one and only son of the one person who knows exactly who I am and who happens to be teaching here. If I got anywhere near him I could see his father doing everything in his power to stop any friendship from being formed. Anything at all._

_You think he would tell-_

_In a heartbeat. That's the way of the rich and pureblood Jack, do anything to get what they want. And if there is one thing I will not allow to happen, it's having people know exactly who I am. Especially right now with our certain, __**guests.**_

Looking around Jack instantly understood. Wizards, everywhere. And if that was said. He had heard about that man that saved her before but she had never said his name. Just vague mentions about the night they met, how he helped and how she then met him. Talk about the worst luck for him not only to be teaching at the same school, but to have his son interested in her. Suddenly he really understood why she seemed gloomy at the moment.

His attention though was brought back to Harker when in a quick moment she was up and walking away. There was no need for her to tell him not to follow. Sitting there he couldn't but help to be angered at the one person who caused all of this. Fucking Harry Potter.

Lucius who had been sitting with Severus discussing varies things, stopped in his talking to watch Harker as she left, noting the extreme look of hate in the musicians eyes towards the table holding the savior himself, and Severus was watching his friend, again wondering not for the first time what it was about the mutant girl that could catch his friends eye. All around everyone was watching someone so it was no shock that when Snape looked up he saw Miss Granger watching someone as well, the same someone who he had been watching. Interesting. And then there was the one the no one saw, the only seventh year Slytherin still sitting in the hall who was watching everyone.

Hermione was again trying to figure out the mystery of Harker, and it seemed only to become more elusive when she found that not only was one of her professors interested in the girl but two.

"Harry," Looking at her watch and then over at him she saw him talking and laughing despite the tension that was there only minutes ago. She found herself happy that he was nothing like Harker, even though with everything that happened in his life, that he could still laugh and be happy. If there was anyone in the world who had any right to want to distance themselves from others it was him, yet he didn't. Instead he seemed to pull them closer. Smiling softly though she realized he was late. "Harry?" The boy looked up. "Don't you have somewhere your supposed to be? Like the quidditch pitch?"

"Shoot! I'm late!" Grabbing a piece of toast he and popping it into his mouth he was off, leaving a laugh few behind. Hermione was about to get up when she saw that the singer from last night was watching as Harry ran out the doors, practically sneering at him. Her mind thinking back on what it had been a few seconds ago before she had noticed the time she began to wonder if her friend had somehow was involved in it all. Remembering that the musician was a good friend of Harker's and how she seemed to be in some odd way almost friendly to Harry, it made her wonder. Just what had Harry got himself into now?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

_This is absurd. _

Severus was not in a happy mood this Saturday. The night before had been the Halloween dance and not only was he forced to watch over all the mongrels all night, he was now being dragged into something that had absolutely nothing to do with him or his students. A simple muggle named Stryker had caused quite the stir last night and now he was on his way to a meeting for all the teachers to learn about the man. After a long few hours of trying to calm all the students they were finally having it. He honestly didn't care, in fact he would insist on them leaving if it weren't for the fact that they had nowhere else to go. Hogwarts was underway and progressing well but it simply wasn't ready to house the students again. And the fact that the mutants may need their help weighed over there heads. After the final battle it would prove to boy Keller's accusations and that of other mutants if they turned their backs on them now. Damn wizards for our pride.

Coming to the conference room that the meeting would be held in he opened the door and found most were already there. All the Hogwarts professors were and the only one missing from the mutant ranks was the neanderthal Logan. Taking his seat around the large table he waited silently of Xavier to begin.

Right as the man was about to begin doing just that the door opened and in walked the hulking mass Logan himself. He grunted something and Xavier nodded, seeming to understand the man's lack of talking abilities. He began again, this time not interrupted.

"As you all know William Stryker was released last night from prison. Now for everyone here that does not know who the man is I will give a brief explanation. William Stryker and mutants everywhere have a long history with each other. The man is a reverend and also has experience in military, at one point in which he experimented on mutants, and after an event with his family he began a crusade to eradicate all mutants, in a belief that we are an abomination which God has granted him the task of ridding the world of. He formed a militant group in which purpose was just that, known as the Purifiers. He also used the media to gain favor from the public. It was only when one of his own men shot and stopped him that he was finally stopped. At the time it had been during a live broadcast, in which he was about to kill one of the students here, a Miss Katherine Pryde. At court he was sentenced to life in prison. You know the rest. Somehow he has managed to be released. I'm still working on trying to find out exactly how he did that."

"So now we have to figure out what we are going to do about this." Summers voiced. The magical people present heard a tone that could only occur with much practice. Even though they had been living among the mutants for the last two months they knew little of their lives.

"I hold to my promise Charles. We shall not leave while you are in need of help." Dumbledore looked out over intercrossed fingers. He was very concerned before he knew this information, and it only hardened his belief that this man was a threat no only to Xavier's students but his own children as well.

Scott found little comfort in the elders statement though. "That's nice and all but what can you really do to help? If anything significant happens you wouldn't be able to do anything. If Stryker thinks we should be annihilated off the face of the earth than what do you think he's going to do if he finds out about witches and wizards? He's used religion before and I believe there is something in the bible about 'thall shall not suffer a witch to live'. If he goes about things like he did before, your help might just make this mess worse."

"Yes, for us to be announced to the world would not only be catastrophic for us but for you as well. The people's reaction to such a thing would be detrimental to all mutants. And in that respect we will do everything we can to keep that from happening." Dumbledore agreed.

Xavier then continued. "Alright, first things first, what I said earlier about the school being on lockdown stands true. No student, mutant or wizard alike will be aloud to leave until we know what to expect from Stryker. It is very likely he will proceed in his vendetta against our kind and will most likely target the school first."

"Then we must put up some type of defense around the school, something to keep him-" McGonagall's word were cut short by a chuckle from Xavier and the other mutants present.

"That wont be necessary Minerva. Miss Harker has already had a shield erected around the entire school since she was capable of such and last night she checked over it, adding anything needed. As far as protection around the school there are numerous things in place, all of which are being looked over as we speak or have been already. Now, something I would like to propose Albus is something that might be needed. As Scott pointed out earlier you have no defense other than magic against Stryker and that will unfortunately not be at your disposal. As a solution I am suggesting maybe your students, or at least some of the older classes take some self defense lessons with Logan and a few of the more experienced students to teach them to fight hand to hand."

"But why would they need that? If your school is as protected as you say then there would be no reason for them to be in a any situation in which they would need it." Professor Sprout questioned. She did not like the idea of teaching her students to fight. Helga herself knows they had done enough of it in the past.

"Because I know my student and I can not keep this school on lockdown forever, they would not stand for it. This is a school, not a prison. At most it will last for a month and at minimal until the end of next week. No, that is only a temporary solution. There will come a time though that they might need it."

Sprout would have argued further had not Dumbledore intervened. "I see nothing wrong with that. I must insist though that one of my teachers is also there to watch over all of this. "

"Of course, whoever you choose." Xavier had a fair idea as to who would be chosen. There was always something about the man that touched on familiar when he saw him. Things about him just reminded him too much of his oldest students for it to be nothing. Curious question though was why would a potions master have been trained to fight in a similar manner to that of his most veteran X-Men.

"Me." Severus stepped forward and wished yet again he had never come to this stupid meeting. Yet he was the only one who would have been qualified for such a need.

"And I." To say the whole room was shocked when Lucius volunteered _willingly_ to participate in this would have been a understatement to the extreme. Lucius had made his views on physical combat very well known when they had arrived at the school and what he thought of those who used it. His opinions of the X-Men and those who helped in the battle though grateful was nothing less than malicious when voiced. That he wanted to watch his own students, his only son among them, learn this made most of those present's jaws drop. Professor Flitwick even fell out of his chair. Yes, his admonishments of physical combat were that strong.

"Alright then. But I must insist that you do not interfere in any of the proceedings. You are aloud only on the basis of watching or helping either Logan or the students. If you interrupt the classes I will have to ask that leave them."

"I agree with him Lucius, you will have to be on your best behavior." Dumbledore said looking at his teacher.

"I will concede to your wishes." Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Severus was watching him very intently. Unlike his friend who had been trained in such combat he detested it. The mere idea of fighting hand to hand was atrocious, no civilized person would ever want such a thing in his mind. No, he would only go to keep an eye on his son. The thought of him learning something so degrading that it shook him to do nothing to prevent it, but Xavier had a very valid point. This was a school, not a prison, and they could not keep the students here indefinitely. Learning this would only help to keep his son alive so he would allow it. Severus would just have to live with that. Any other reasons for attending such a class would merely be an added bonus.

Everyone turned their attention back to Xavier once again. "Now about the trip for the winners of the Halloween contest. I think it would be best if that was for the moment put on hold. Perhaps we should call them here to inform them?" Upon receiving a nod from Dumbledore Xavier sent for a student to bring them to the conference room.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Ok, so what happened last night? Finding you looking like you were about to pass out and what you said about your head aching.."

Draco had just caught up with the group outside the quidditch pitch. Hermione had been there waiting for the other two to be done and now the four were walking around the grounds. As cold as it was it was the best place for such a conversation.

No one answered him for a few minutes, silently walking until they were in a thicker part of the woods. The school was still slightly within sight but it was still very isolated. There was no one around and if anyone did come up on them they would either hear or see them before the got within even ten feet, plenty of time for them to stop talking about anything too sensitive for outsiders, all due to the almost bare trees and fallen leaves.

Looking at Draco Harry was a little hesitant, not because he didn't trust Draco but because he still didn't understand what was going on himself. "It was my scar Draco. All of a sudden last night in the middle of Harker's song it just started burning, exactly like how it would when Voldemort was around." Draco flinched. If anyone had a right to it was him Harry thought. While others fear him for things they either saw from a distance or because of the effect on their lives, Draco had to serve under him. Anytime Voldemort's name was mentioned Draco would be the first one to pale.

"But you killed him. He died, I saw it! There is no way, absolutely no way he can come back, right? He was taken out by raw magic. Nothing comes back from that!" Through out his words Draco had began to grow louder and louder and instead of sounding scared like how he had when he began he now sounded angry, so angry that they were saying something to him that he didn't want to hear. Looking at Hermione and Ron he came to a decision, if they were to tell Draco one part they were going to have to tell him everything.

"Not from that, but what if a part was never destroyed?"

"What are you talking about Potter?" His eyes were wide as he looked at him. He looked like a child in a way Harry thought.

"Harry-" Ron tried to interrupt but Harry would not allow him to.

"No, he needs to know. If we tell him one thing we have to tell him everything."

"But why-"

"No Ron! I trust him." Turing back to Draco hee took a deep breath. He saw out of the corner of his eyes that Ron and Hermione had leaned against a tree, getting comfortable for a very long explanation. So he started. "Voldemort had a plan, in which done right, would have made him practically immortal. He would in all certain terms tear his soul apart and place the pieces in certain objects. But last year Ron, Hermione and I went about destroying them."

Something seemed to dawn on the blonde. "That's why you were gone sometimes all mysteriously and there would never be an explanation. I thought you were out merely gallivanting about Hogsmead and no one would punish the golden boy and his friends." Looking at his friends he saw that they seemed concerned about him, or at least Hermione was. Ron was still put out about telling the other boy. The young pureblood heir seemed to be in shock. He seemed to be gazing at something in his mind with his eyes glazed over. If anyone would likely understand the meaning of something this dark happening it would have been Draco.

"Draco?" He snapped out of his gaze and looked towards Harry. Shock and disbelief and… fear written in his face.

"To do that, I couldn't even imagine. And you said pieces, as in more than one. How many times did he do it?"

"He created six. The diary from our second year, which was the whole reason behind the Chamber of Secrets. A locket of Salazar Slytherin's, a ring which was passed down through Slytherin's descendants, a cup owned by Helga Hufflpuff, the diadem that Rowena Ravenclaw owned, and his little pet snake Nagina. So long as these were still intact he would still be grounded to this world. On the night that the final battle happened Dumbledore and I were retrieving the locket. It was then later destroyed by Dumbledore, I think around the time I was in the hospital. And I think, I think there was a seventh one as well, made unintentionally." Hermione and Ron started at this. Taking a breath he continued on. "I think I was his seventh horcux."

"What!" "Harry!" Both his friends were suddenly looking very worried about him and having jumped up from their spot and rushed over to him. He smiled at their attics, he didn't think he could ever tire of them. It felt both strange and wonderful to know that they actually cared. Even after so many years though it still baffled him to see such a thing, directed at him.

Very gently he tried to explain to them something he had never said aloud to anyone before. "Think about it. What other reason would I have been able to have a connection with him unless I was. He only made six intentionally and what if when he came to kill me he had meant to make one from killing me? I was the one who was supposed to be the end of him so I can see him being demented enough to make one from that. He would have had to do the ritual before hand so it's very possible when you think about it."

"So are you still?" Ron asked hesitantly. He knew his best mate well enough to not be concerned about him turning dark but with how they had destroyed the others he wondered how they would this time while still having his friend alive in the end.

"No, I can sense magic remember and people's auras. There is nothing there that I would think would be Voldemort. My scar looks the exact same as everything else and the rest is completely normal." Well most of it anyway but the rest was unimportant. It had nothing to do with what was going on.

After a moment of silence Draco asked. "So you had something you wanted to explain to me? You have yet to tell me what last night was about. You said you destroyed all his horcux's, so there should be no way for him to be here correct?"

"He shouldn't but there is a chance he could have made more, but I don't think that's likely. Voldemort was so set in the things he did, and in his memory he talked about making seven. I can't see him changing that. The only one I didn't see destroyed was the last one, the locket. You two saw Dumbledore destroy it right? Did it seem different or anything from the others?"

He looked at Ron and Hermione and both of them shook their heads but Hermione seemed to be hesitant in her answer. "What is it Hermione?"

"It's nothing I'm sure. It's just that, I remember the diadem and the cup and even Nagina and it was the same for all of them, this horrible screaming sound. I have never heard anything like it before. The locket though, it just seemed, less intense I suppose. But that could mean nothing right. I may have been his first one, before he destroyed himself so horribly. I'm sure it's nothing."

"Whatever it was though, we have to worry about is the one here. If we can't destroy it soon then Voldemort could return again and I will never allow that to happen so long as I'm alive." Too many people had died because one mad man's crazed ravings. His parent's and Teddy's mother and so many others. No, never again.

Draco though didn't seem to find comfort in that."Wouldn't he still be able to return? His soul is out there still grounded by the horcrux. Even destroyed-"

"Right now he is a spirit, less than that even. If the anchor is gone he will have nothing else to keep him." Hermione explained. "He can't turn into a ghost or anything else. So long as we destroy it before he can find a body then there should be no problem. It truth though there might be even less than a sliver of a soul lingering around. After the raw magic hit him I don't think there would be to much."

"Ok then all we need to do is find it then." Draco started pacing thinking of where it could be. At the moment he didn't want to think about what he saw last night. So he pushed it to the back of his mind. He missed the look that passed between the other three entirely. "I suppose it would have to be with someone or else you would have felt something before last night. Most of the people who were here for the dance still are, Mercer being one of them. Most of the guest have-"

"We know who has it Draco." For the first time ever Ron actually spoke with out any bitterness in his voice. In fact it was also the first time he had ever used the Slytherin's first name. The redhead couldn't tell who was more shocked at this. Harry, Hermione or Draco.

"Well then Wea- Ronald, who is it?" Again everyone who had not been speaking's jaws dropped. Right in front of the two they saw a somewhat truce being made. Never in a million years would either have believed it. Seemed Merlin did grant miracles.

Shaking his head Harry got back to what they were discussing. "Harker. It happened last night as she was singing. She looked right at me and suddenly just pain shot right through me. It was exactly like what happened with all the others."

Draco sighed. _Damn it. _"I thought that might be what you would say. I saw it but I'd hoped that it happened sometime after that."

"Wait, you knew?" Hermione questioned.

"Yes, right when Harry practically doubled over Harker grabbed something on her chest, I'm guessing some necklace or something. She played it off merely as a gesture intertwined with her performance but-"

"But what?" This was important and they needed to know all the details. I wouldn't help to be looking in the complete wrong direction and Hermione also wanted to be very sure before suspecting a girl none of them knew very well.

"For a spit second she looked like she was in pain, at the same time you where. It was fleeting but it was there."

"Are you one hundred percent sure Draco?" Harry asked.

He nodded. "I wouldn't have said anything if I wasn't."

"Ok then, that proves it, I wasn't the only one to see Harker look right at me when it happened. But I can't figure out why I felt it only then? And why would I in the first place! If it really is one of Voldemort's horcux's then why would I have been able to feel it? I no longer have that connection with him."

"Maybe you are just very sensitive." Hermione shrugged. It made sense to her but seeing the guys disbelieving looks she rushed on. Men and their insensitivities. "No listen. You have almost your entire life lived where you could feel him. Whether that's because you had a bit of his soul in you or because of something about the curse he cast you have been able to for years now. And in the last six years since you entered the wizarding world you have had ample exposure to him and used the link excessively. I think you have a very high sensitivity when it comes to him. And with your new abilities, who knows what you are capable of. That's not what we should be worrying about though. The problem is why would Harker have one, and next, how do we get it to destroy it?"

"I'm not too worried about the second, we destroyed all the others before." Harry answered after his little fit and being called sensitive. He was a guy and you just didn't say that. "It's the first that has me more concerned. If she really has it then that means she has had some contact with the wizarding world. That means either Amanda or someone we don't know about, and whoever it is is into some dark stuff and Harker might also be as well."

Though he hated saying it he knew it was a possibility. Yet something was yelling he was wrong, that his words were farther from the truth than closer. This, this felt similar to all the times they had gone and started to blame Snape, when really he had been the one protecting them. All the evidence was pointing toward Harker being dark, someone they couldn't trust but something was there whispering to him to trust the girl. Almost the same feeling when he knew someone around him was about to use magic or their powers or that feeling when he drew raw magic, not the feeling of it against his skin but from where he drew it from.

"Do you really think she could be dark Harry?" Draco asked. Looking at the blonde he saw that he felt the same way as he did. It was obvious neither of the two believed it.

"Course it could be true. Someone who it that numb can't be all good Draco. Sh' just not-"

"Enough Ron." She looked at the two others and saw how they looked. The mere prospect of the girl being dark had made a shadow come over both their eyes. Draco obviously was interested in the girl, only she didn't think he realized just how much himself. Harry though was the one that confused her. Out of the two of them she would have thought that now after everything that Harry would be the one she would understand completely and Draco being the question mark. Whatever it was though with Harry she didn't think even he understood it. She shook her head. Boys were the most clueless people in the world, though she thought that when it came to Harker there simply wasn't anyone who wasn't.

"Could it be that bracelet she always wears? I mean it's the only thing she always has with her." Ron asked, getting away from the topic that seemed to keep getting people mad at him for.

"No, if it was that then I would have felt like I did last night all the time. There is a semi strong glamour charm on it, but that's it."

"Can you tell what it does?" Hermione asked.

"No, I can't see the magic anywhere on her, but from the charm I know it can't be anything major, it's just only a little bit stronger than your average glamour. It could be anything from her eye color to covering up mass acne. My guess is that she uses a shield to cloak her from everything, mind readers to scanners, myself included and that also blocks out seeing the magic as well."

"What we need to do is get more information on her. Ask Amanda, maybe-" Anything else that Hermione was going to say was cut off when the sound of crunching leaves interrupted them. All looking up they saw a small child come through the trees towards them. Red wings protruded from his back and with an amazing grace he made his way through the trees without them once being caught. Coming up to them they all stayed silent waiting for him to say whatever it was he needed to. It was an obvious assumption that he had come looking specifically for them but not a single one of them knew the boy personally. They only knew he was Sam's younger brother, and that last night he had played at the dance.

"Hey, you guys are really hard to find. Xavier ended up having to use his powers in Cerebro and that still took forever." He stated in a way only a child could being completely unabashed.

"Why was he looking for us?" Draco asked. The three who knew him could tell he was trying very hard not to sneer at the child. Jay, they thought his name was, was completely oblivious to his actions.

"I dunno. He just sent me out to bring you guys to him." And with that he turned and started walking away. The four all looked at each other and then proceeded to follow him, albeit some more reluctant to others. For the most part the journey was silent.

"Harry?" They had just entered the school again when the whispered voice sounded out. He had almost missed it. "Do you think we should tell the Headmaster." A little bit louder this time and he could tell it was Hermione.

"No." He didn't hesitate for even a second. He really had no defined reason to not want to tell the man, only that he didn't want to. Over the years he had placed Harry in so many situations that he was alone in to fix. This time would be no different, except in the fact that the Headmaster wouldn't know. "There is no reason for him to know Hermione. If we fix this quickly then we'll have worried him for nothing. Besides, what do you think he will do when he finds out a mutant has a dark artifact that could possibly bring back the darkest Dark Lord in the last thousand years? No, we can handle this ourselves."

Any argument she would have had was cut off at the sound of a knocking. They realized that they had come to a stop outside a door and that they were being called through it. Walking through they saw all the teachers in the entire school sitting and waiting. Suddenly the image of a firing squad invaded almost all their mind, the image from a movie Kurt had them watch popping up. Except instead of high powered riffles their executioners were using wands and laser beam eyes. Snape and Summers looked the most annoyed out of all of them by far. It took little to guess who would be the first to fire.

"About time you obnoxious brats! We had been looking for you four for over that past hour!" They all cringed, Draco included. "Any other student nothing else would have been thought of. But seeing as your four have caused the most trouble in your years at Hogwarts you can guess why we were more than a little annoyed!"

"Enough Severus." Dumbledore quietly hushed the enraged Professor. He himself merely looked at his students, seeming to be calculating something. "He does have the right to be a little angry though. It was only by Professor Xavier using Cerebro that we were able to find you. But that is in the past." Suddenly he was the merry old man most in the office knew. Some half expected him to pull out some tin of sweets soon and start offering them. "We called you here to discuss your prize for winning the costume contest." At this the four of them brightened, forgetting that Snape still looked like he wanted to throttle. "Unfortunately,-" _Oh no. _The same thought echoed through all of their heads. "until further notice the trip will need to be put on hold. With the school on lockdown we can not risk letting you out due to all the dangers involved."

"However," Xavier's voice sounded out carry a much more happy tune to it. "it is only until the lockdown is released. Now though we wanted to talk to you as to who you would like to take. Originally it was thought that the winner would take about three two or three friends with them. However though I think it would be better if only each one of you chose only one other person." He smiled at them. Yes, it had taken all in attendance by surprise to see their costumes. Him most of all. He almost felt like so many years had not passed. It had however made the choice of who won a very obvious one. They just hadn't expected four winners in the end.

"Kurt." Hermione was the first one to answer and the others looked at her wondering what is was about. Seeing as she had chosen who she had Ron's choice was very easy one.

"I guess Amanda for me." Shrugging he looked at Draco to tell his choice.

The blonde hesitated for only a moment. "Would Harker be aloud to come as well?"

Xavier smiled at him. Interesting. "You should probably ask her herself if she would like to go but I see no problem in allowing her to if she would like to." He secretly hoped she would. It would do her some good to get out and do something other than work, and it might help her to open up a little. Harker was one of the students who had been here the longest and he had a very warm spot for the girl. Though he doubted she would accept he had also seen how she had reacted to some of the new comers, two more so than others. Those two just so happen to be standing in front of him.

Turning to the last student he waited for him to name his choice. "I think I would like it if Rouge would come along. Kinda even out the ratio of guys to girl." All heard the blasé tone to his voice but all could see the faint blush tinting his neck and face. After last night there wasn't a single doubt in anyone's mind as to whether the boy was interested, merely if it would work out.

"Alright then, that is all for now about that then. Unless your Headmaster has anything else to say?…"

"No no, you all are free to go. I ask though that you not go wondering too far into the woods again. And on that note have a good weekend." He merely crossed his fingers and waited for them to leave. As they were about to walk away though they were stopped by Malfoy Sr. who had followed them out.

"Draco, if I may have a word?"

"Of course father." And with that the two walked away leaving the three to go their own way. Not too long though both Hermione and Ron went on their own way to spend some nice and quiet time together a.k.a. Harry didn't want the details.

Back in the conference room Dumbledore and Xavier went about discussing what they had been before the four had come. The other teachers had not left though Dumbledore had wished they had.

"So what exactly are you telling me Xavier?" He asked over his stippled fingers.

The smile that Xavier had worn earlier had long gone, seeming the second the students had left. While they were not his own he found himself more glad in their presence. He always had seemed to when it came to students. One of the reasons he made such a fine teacher he had been told before.

"That when I had tried to reach your students earlier I had not been able to. Something was blocking me from Mr.'s Potter and Malfoy and Miss Granger's mind. Mr. Weasley was less protected but enough that I could not enter his mind without forcing myself, and that I would never do to a student. The barriers were much like your own mind and that of Severus's as well."

"You can't seriously be suggesting that they learned Occlumency?" Snape doubted. "That I can tell you is not possible Charles. I have tried myself to teach Potter and he is un-teachable in that area. What your are saying is impossible."

Xavier sighed. Between Dumbledore and Snape he was not going to survive the day without some for of headache. "That is not what I am saying at all Severus. I truly know nothing of how your magic works and know nothing of Occlumency. I am merely telling you what I felt when I tried to reach them by their minds earlier. No, what caught my concern was not my not being able to access their minds but rather what I found when I used Cerebro. While the other three read like your normal magical beings Mr. Potter did not. His readings are like nothing I have ever seen."

"And how do you mean?" Dumbledore asked quietly. His entire staff had started to twitter and sputter around him but he had merely looked at Xavier, holding his gaze. Harry was something he had learned long ago to not trifle around when concerned with.

"He reads like nothing I have ever seen before. I really haven't any idea as to think about what I saw when I found him. I really have nothing to tell you Albus, only something about him is not like any other wizard mutant or muggle I have ever seen."

The room was very quiet upon this announcement. Half were waiting for Dumbledore to say something and half Xavier, to add something that would help sum up the mystery known as Harry Potter. All had found themselves asking many questions when it concerned the boy. There simply were too many odd things in which appeared the equation when it came to him. He had done things no living being should be able to do. Had seen things and done things that even hardened Auror's would not come away from unaffected. That was not to say he did, no, the ministry event and the final battle proved that. Every single one of them knew that the boy had seen and experienced more than one ever should at that age, even those who were not his teachers. And yet he could still laugh at the most adolescent of things and rush around being late for practice and all around was still a child. Most could never do that. Some became emotionally vulnerable and timid and some became closed off and bitter. Kitty and Snape being prime examples of both. And all of that spoke nothing of his magical abilities. No one in the history of magic had ever accomplished what he had, to produce and use such a large amount of raw magic and succeed, and then to live. The boy was a mystery alright. This new discovery about him really shocked no one, but it did make several very uncomfortable.

"I see." Was Dumbledore's response. All waited for more but nothing else came. "Well I think we have covered everything that we needed to Charles. Unless there was anything else you thought needed to discuss?" He had asked so simply anyone would have thought he had only asked something as simple as whether they wanted sugar for their tea or not. Xavier just looked at his friend and knew that he would not tell him anything more about his student. He was going to play the ignorant bit to perfection here, holding back all he knew, and Xavier knew he did. That was fine, he knew something as well, a guess but if right would mean something that had yet to enter the minds of any one in this room so far. Except perhaps Albus but he would have no way to be sure.

Simply smiling back at the age wizard he sat back in his chair. "Nothing else I can think of. If anything does come about I will make sure to inform you."

Standing up and pulling his robes about him Dumbledore smiled down at him. "Thank you for everything you have told us my friend. Until later."

"Until then Albus." The two seemed friendly to almost all around but Xavier knew that their last words meant in all reality nothing. Somehow this had turned into a game, a very intricate chess game in which everything had it's own piece and it's own way of moving to it. And unwillingly Xavier had found himself involved, the other player to which moved the pieces. Unfortunately though those were the people around them and the one who would really feel the consequences was Harry. Whatever it was that was going on with the boy was something larger than even he had predicted when he had informed Albus about him. And now the other man had began again to manipulate those around him. As good of a friend as he was, so was Magneto and both the two had very striking similarities. A fondness for chess seemed one of them yet he never seemed to know what it was that was being played for until too late when it came to those two.

"Charles, what are you not telling?" The two were the only ones still in the room, all the others having left already.

"When I picked up his signal earlier Logan, if I had not known better I would have thought him a mutant. A very powerful and unique mutant."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Harry had come outside for a breather. Things were just a little to hectic at the moment to be in there. He had walked away from the court yard and stepped just beyond it into the lightly wooded area. This time not going in too far, he did not wish to meet an angry Snape again if he could avoid it at least until the end of the weekend. It was much more calm here, more serene. If it hadn't been for the faint smell of smoke he wouldn't have noticed the other person there. He started when he noticed who it was.

Jack was standing there, a rolled cigarette in between his lips and was staring at him. He looked ready to maim Harry and again he wondered what he had done to pissed the elder man off. The two had never spoken once in their lives yet the elder hated him if the looks from last night and right at this moment where anything to go by. And he also thought he really needed to pay more attention to his sensing ability. He had the perfect gift to keep him out of these odd situations and yet, he kept falling in them.

Leaning against a tree the singer could not take his eyes off of Harry, sneering all the while. "Oh look, the little _prince_. What would the wizarding world's savior be doing out here with out his fans?"

"Just needed some fresh air." Playing with his feet he couldn't look the other in the eyes. There was something about him that when he did made him feel so little and insignificant. He still felt it even without looking at the other but it was much more worse when he did.

To this Jack merely looked at him seeming to be thinking something over. Then pushing away from the tree he walked over closer to Harry. Leaning close, too close to his face for Harry, he blew a large huff of smoke. "Fresh enough air for you?"

Over the choking and the burning eyes Harry soon found himself raving mad. He had done nothing to this guy, hell this was the first time the two had ever even said anything to each other! Harry had felt angry many times before and had felt Voldemort's angry but never had he ever wanted to act on it like right now. With a fierce motivation behind him he stepped forward and shoved the tall lean singer back with enough force he went back several feet, almost falling over only at the last moment correcting his feet. The shock of the action was present as he looked up at the other who seemed as shocked as he was.

That soon passed and then he was mirroring Harry's previous look of rage. Harry's had dimmed for a second in shock but was back again with a fury.

"You complete arse hole! What the hell is your problem?" Harry shoved him again. This time though the other didn't fall backwards but grabbed him by the caller bringing the smaller right up to his face.

Jack shouted. "If it hadn't been for, if you had never been born-"

"Jack!" The angered musician broke off at hearing his name and when he saw who it was his expression immediately softened. In this his grip on Harry's jumper slipped and taking the opportunity for what it was he pulled completely out of the singe'rs grip and stepped as far away as he could. Looking up he saw Harker stomp right up to him and shoved him in the same manner in which Harry just had. The man seemed was less than pleased.

"What the hell Harker!"

"You will stop this right now! It was bad enough I said nothing at the dance last night when you were sending waves of fear at him but this, this stops right now!" So that was what had happed Harry thought. It had been him. Could he have had anything to do with what happened with his scar? Watching the two she stared at Jack for another moment before she turned to Harry. What she did next shocked him.

She bowed down low, face completely parallel to the ground and said. "I apologize for any harm or offence caused to you and will take full responsibility for the actions caused here today and those of last night." This completely baffled him, no one had ever bowed to him, human anyways, and he wondered why she would take the responsibility for someone else's actions. She had has no part in what all was said and done, correct? Glancing behind he saw that Jack was about to blow a gasket.

"People have died because of him Harker!" Jack yelled. She stood back up and glared at him. He seemed more shocked at this action than anything else that had occurred so far.

"But he never killed anyone." Her voice was low and dangerous but the implications behind her words were loud and earth shattering. Harry didn't know what to think but this, this was…

Jack's face immediately softened. "Harker, what you did-"

"Was kill Jack. I have killed with my own hands, but he never has. Just let it go." Harry saw that more was being passed between them that just what was said but he couldn't not understand any of it. He didn't even understand as to why he hated him to begin with.

"NO! Everything that ever happened was his fault. It if hadn't been for him-"

"Millions would have died. If he hadn't stopped the world's maddest killer since Hitler then everyone in the world would have had to be ruled by a megalomaniac. He has saved every person here. Voldemort is the reason Jack not him. Voldemort and his demented Deatheaters. Blame them, hate them. But leave him alone Jack."

He looked like he wanted to fight her more on this but after a few moments he gave in. Turning towards Harry he glared and for a second Harry thought he was about to take a shot at him but he merely bowed and repeated everything Harker had said in her apology. He now was asking for forgiveness.

Harry was confused for a second as to whether or not he should even consider to accept, but ended up doing just so, for the both of them, and then leaving promptly. Pure anger welled up through him at that man. Usually when people hated him he had done something but Mercer wouldn't even have known about him before a few months ago, for Merlin's sake the two lived in completely separate worlds! He only accepted because Harker was the first to ask and while he grudgingly accepted but vowed not to forget. He also assumed that the same could be said about Mercer as well. He might have apologized but Harry very much doubted that he would actually give up his unreasoned hatred, one which Harry had every intention of finding out why it existed.

It was that reason to why he ducked behind a very large and old tree not ten yards away when he knew they would have lost sight of him. Silently he listened to see if the believed him gone and then planned on following them. He ended up not needing to when they started to talk right then.

"Damn it Jack! You can not do this anymore. I love you and care about you, but if push comes to shove I will choose him. I have to Jack because he is… him." She finished lamely. It was the first time Harry ever heard her actually sound like a regular teenager.

Harry could not see the two but he had opened his senses wide and surprisingly and very suddenly he was able to feel every emotion coming off Jack. It was only for a split second but what he felt from Jack was shocking. He had expected anger, hurt or something violent from the man who had just been told he would be passed over for someone Harker didn't even know. Instead for that flicker of a second he saw only resignation from him over her choice. But she didn't even know him and that was what shocked Harry. She wasn't one of the crazed fans yet she chose him over someone who she depended on. At breakfast Amanda hadn't been as quiet as she thought and he heard most of what was said. The two that were only fifteen feet away seemed to be closer than even he was with his friends, yet she would choose him. It didn't make any sense.

Neither did Jack's reaction either. Harry expect a tantrum but the singer merely sighed. "Yeah, I know Harker… I think that's why I hate him so much. Because he means that much to you, while I never will."

"I'm sorr-"

"Don't be Harker. Hell, If I had the same thing you did I think I would be doing just what you are. I just wish, I just wish that everything that happened could have been different. Less arrogant bastards in your life and more good guys you know?"

Harry heard what sounded like foot steps and then Jack's aura dimmed significantly, like someone stepped in front of him. Had it been anyone else he would have seen the other person's aura over lapping his but this was Harker. "But you are one of the good guy Jack."

"Yeah, and I've only been around for the last six year Harker. For the first ten there was no one there for you." Wait, Harker was sixteen? But the girl looked like she was fourteen at most, way too young for what she was. Now, even he looked young for his age but that was because of ten years of being under the Dursley's care, and they were extreme in their _nurturing_ he thought a bit bitterly. She couldn't have gone through anything like he had, right? It was miracle of Merlin's he had survived what happened to him. Then again, if she had gone through something similar, was it even really possible to say she actually survived?

So lost in thought he almost forgot that they were still there and when he heard them he quickly ducked so they would not see him. Luckily, there were still some leaves on the trees and they had passed at least ten feet away instead of right by him. Unfortunately his mind really couldn't see how lucky he was for he was in a haze, thinking about all the had happened. Walking back into the school he sorted through everything that he had just heard, and all he could find was himself becoming more and more angered. Mercer, oh had he wanted to punch him, to hurt him. Everything about the git just pissed him off. Rage, a cold and hard rage ripped through him wanting nothing more that to-

"Harry!?" Looking up there was Rouge, who looked both worried and frightened. He saw why when something caught his eye.

Blue, liquid flames of ice, surrounded his crunched up fists. They didn't burn him, even as he moved his hand closer to him. He felt the warmth from it but it was almost soothing, not fierce and destructive. But this was something he had never seen before. There wasn't a spell out there that could do this he was sure and that scared him. The flames seemed to react to that and whipped about as though trying to fight something off, to protect him from the very thing that scared him. Irony there. Carefully he concentrated, imagining the flame existing only in his palm and slowly all it retreated to exactly there and then he closed his fist, killing them within his fingers.

He didn't even know how they appeared. How did he even know how to treat it? It seemed almost like an instinct to command it like he had but looking at the wall which had been too close to his hand he saw burns. What if he hadn't known what to do? If Rouge had gotten hurt?

Looking up at the girl she wasn't hurt at all that he could tell. If she had been … "Harry, are ya alrigh'?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Did it hurt you? Did I-"

"No, not at all. I just saw ya walkin' in and then, yeah…" She trailed off and he understood perfectly. Cringing he turned his head away. What do you say when someone you might be interested in found you with flames surrounding you?

"I asked Xavier if it would be alright to take you on the trip with us." That it seemed. Awkward more so but for a different reason as now he found himself blushing. He hadn't meant to blurt that out.

"Really? Well that's cool. I could really use gettin' away from here. But I guess with the lockdown…"

"Yeah but as soon as it's lifted…" The two started to walk away, staying away from talking about the charred wall they left behind and what caused it. Later Logan would find it, and not all too pleased either. Yet he really had no idea who it was, Pyro wasn't at the school any longer. At least, not until sometime next week.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A few days later the entire school was having breakfast in the dining hall, many going over things in there heads such as notes and homework. Some were quizzing each other on a things for tests. It was a regular morning at first glance. But when looked at closer it could be seen all around that all the students where very nervous. All eyes were shifting all over the place, watching those around them seeming to look for clues on how to react. For all were rather riled about the arrival of certain people, the brotherhood mainly. Yet when the doors to the hall were thrown open and a women in leather with an eye patch came marching through no one had been expecting it. They less expected her to march right up to Professor Munroe and punch her strait in the face and throwing her back five feet.

\………………………………......................................................................../\..................................................................................................../

Ok… FINALLY!!!!! I have never had so much of a hard to time writing a chapter. I swear this mother was a pain is the arse to write. It just didn't want to be written! My muse was also cruel in anytime I had inspiration for this story, it was a bit ten chapters away. Go freakin' figure. Anyway, this is done and I have never felt happier about a chapter's end than this one. Hallelujah it's finally over!

On to the next note, over the next bit of time I am going to be both be writing the next chapter and going over the chapters I have already written and making a few, hell let's just say it, like a thousand corrects. I have been reading over what I have written so far and I feel like ripping off my own skin!!! The grammar and mistakes in this are so horrible and what baffles me is only one person has said anything! I have over ten thousand hits to this and one person, ONE person!! actually points it out! Anyway, just informing you all so those who are on the alert list know what's up when every chapter I've written is popping back up again or if you just would want to read it again without all the badness to it. There might be a few changes to it but nothing big or major to the story line, just things to help it run a little smoother.

So, the next chapter as you can see will be starting of with a fight, moving onto a few lessons and then the Quidditch match to end them all. What happens when mutants mix in with a game played in the sky? Hehe, let's just say I have a feeling I am going to be very mean to my characters. And don't worry, the trip wont be put off for very long. This was the last sit around talk chapter and from now I will try to limit how much Harker shows up, this chapter was way too much in my opinion. From now on until at least a bit before Christmas in the story it's action, action and action!

I am breaking my rule of begging for reviews and am asking, PLEASE! tell me what you think, even if to say this is the worst story you have ever read. LATER!!!


	11. Fight, Animagus and Fight!

**Tuesday**

Tuesday had come quickly for all and the whole school was anxious about the arrival of the other mutants. Though all the students, magical included, tried to appear as if nothing was wrong all the teachers could tell. If Jack had still been there he would have felt it all even with his shields up and Harker enforcing them. While all the teachers were discussing this, other matters were being thought over by a few of the Hogwarts Professors.

Lucius was on the brink of cursing the headmaster, both with and without his wand. In fact, he was gripping his silverware so hard Severus was afraid his knuckles were about to pop out of place, and he wasn't the only one. Lucius tried again. "These new mutants and this muggle are _not_ what worry me the most Albus. You have avoided this since the discussion on Saturday but it needs to be addressed." Malfoy spat. The old man would not even so much as think about it and that infuriated him beyond imagination. The Ministry might very well come down at any time and the old coot was merely eating his toast!

"Lucius, you should know there is nothing to say on this. The ministry wouldn't do any-"

Malfoy practically snarled at him at this cutting off anything else he could say. The other staff, magical and mutant alike both were surprised. It took a lot to even make the pureblood loose even a bit of his control and now he looked like he had none. "This minister is as bad as the last and you know as well as I do they have laid claim to the Potter boy! They see him as theirs to use as they see fit and if they think he is in danger here then they would not hesitate to take action. The Dark Lord may be gone but he did not receive as much power as he did merely by killing a few people. The ministry is as corrupt as ever and you know this."

"Alas I do but they would not come here. They-" Again the elder wizard was cut short only this time not by his companion but by the doors to the dinning hall being thrown open. It would seem as though the new arrivals were there.

Xavier who, even though was weary on the prospect of the Brotherhood being in his school, was about to smile when a particular women came in to his gaze. Clad in leather with a patch over one of her eyes, different marking all over her, tattoos and branding alike, was making a very distinct path toward one of his teachers. Many in the hall had not noticed her, too involved in their own conversations and lives to detect anything out of ordinary. Only a few had and those who did had no idea what to do. She marched with speed and purpose across the hall towards the faculty table and the second she was within arms length on one of them in particular she drew back and threw the hardest punch she looked capable of. Ororo hadn't even seen her coming.

The entire hall took notice of that in a second and were up in arms in a matter of seconds. All watched as the leather covered mutant gave no quarter to the dark skinned teacher and followed her as she fell, intending to strike again. Luckily Ororo was stunned only for a moment and dodged the incoming hit that could have in all intense purposes, broken half the ribs in her chest. Up in a flash the two started to trade blows in such rapid yet fierce consistency. The entire school was in chaos watching the two.

Besides Harry, Kurt was standing and glowering at the new comer. From how similar that look compared to that of the one he had the other day Harry guessed that this was Callisto. The blue boy was muttering something about being right and thinking back on his words from Saturday Harry found that he was. He had predicted the first thing to happen would be a fight. He had just assumed that even if the other boy was right that a fight wouldn't have happened right as they entered the door.

The fight was brutal. There were several attempts from students to stop the fight but every time someone stopped them. That was when Harry took notice to all those around. Some were watching in excitement while others in worry. Some shouting encouraging notes and other screaming for the two to stop. What Harry found to be more interesting was the new students that were mixed in with the crowd. Some stuck out more than such as ones with black stone like skin and one who had pink skin and just one eye. Others though you would only tell where new from the sheer look of loathing on their faces. These ones, he also noticed, were always the ones that stopped others from entering the fight. Among the crowd were a few adults Harry had never seen and he guessed that they had arrived just now as well. In all though Harry become confused. Some of the new comers stuck out, by physical appearance and some by how they merely acted. Yet all of them were… amused?

Suddenly a clap of thunder caught his attention and turning back to the fight he saw that the new comer was looking a little… fried. So much apparently in fact that he heard Kurt say something about Kentucky and chicken. He didn't understand it but obviously a few around them did. All around them were chuckling and Hermione herself was smiling. Harry made a mental note to ask later. Lying on the ground hardly looking like she was not going to be getting up professor Munroe made to turn around when without warning Callisto jumped up and rushed her, holding a knife that suddenly appeared. The Munroe had no way of stopping her.

But then, the women suddenly stopped, almost as though she ran strait in to a wall. A very solid, brick, hard and invisible wall. She fell as hard as she had hit and this time she didn't get back up. When a voice sounded out through the crowd though it wasn't the anyone that had expected.

"I do believe that isn't aloud in a fair fight Callisto." Keller said from the side lines. Every single one of Xavier's students seemed enraged and all of the Hogwarts were as well. Some were completely stunned that someone would try such a dirty thing, and in front of an entire school! The new comers though were mixed. Some were excited yet others seemed both disappointed and saddened.

Xavier came to the front of the crowd and wheeled himself up to Ororo. The two talked for a few seconds, in which Xavier obviously was asking about her health. After looking herself over she shook her head. Other that a few bruises and a busted lip she seemed to be alright. At her words though Xavier was no more the less angry. Turning towards Callisto, who was having to be lifted off the ground by three different people, she as well as the entire school could see that anger. Both his voice and his eyes when he spoke were hard and cold. "Mr. Keller would be right Callisto, not that this would have qualified as a challenge to begin with. If you want to challenge Ororo for leadership of the Morlocks you will have to give her a chance to accept. She is still as of this moment the leader. Now-" Turning towards all the students his voice softened but not his eyes. "-if you wouldn't mind, I think the students are late for their classes. All those in Miss Munroe's though will have a study period for the time. All our new guests, please follow Dr. McCoy." And so they did. The blue furry man who was the resident doctor lead about fifty mutants, most of whom Harry would assume where the Morlocks out of the hall. However at the door an elder man stopped, directly in front of Harry who had been making his way to his first class.

"Ah, if it isn't Harry Potter, the savior of us all." Cringing he stopped and looked up. Damn he hated being short. The man in front of him had a cape on, an actual cape, that was black with a red lining on the inside. It wasn't that though that caught Harry's attention but the helmet on his head he was wearing.

"Yes sir, but I don't think I know who you are?"

He elder mutant laughed. It sounded like how one would imagine you grandfather laughing, yet unlike how Dumbledore had that twinkle in his eyes this man had something that showed pure calculation. "No I don't suppose you would. I am Magneto. You were quite impressive in that battle. We should perhaps discuss a few things at a future time. For now though, have good day Mr. Potter." Sweeping past him the elder man made his way into the hall. Continuing onward to his classes Harry made a note to ask Kurt or Amanda about the caped man. It seemed he had a lot he had to ask about he thought mildly to himself. This last question though was the one that seemed the more important of the two.

Xavier had been watching the students who had left the hall and had seen the whole exchange between his old friend and Mr. Potter. Hearing Logan come up besides him he didn't even need to read the others mind to know what was to be said.

"Do you think he can sense what you do about the kid?" To this Xavier said nothing. He truly had no idea what Eric was up to. Behind him he could hear Logan sighing. "Chuck, I know your argument and I know the situation but I don't like them bein' here. That right there is the reason we went and guarded them when they first got here. With Magneto takin' interest in them, you can be sure that this ain't goin' too end too pretty."

"I know Logan, but like you said you know the situation. With Stryker being out there what other choice do we have? He can do far worse than kill a few of us and you know that, better than most even. No, any mutant who wishes the safety of this school is welcome, be they student or not."

"And what happens when Magneto decides he wants a few new pieces to him game Chuck? Him messin' around here could end in everyone knowing about magic, and if that happens, I think it could end out worse than anything Stryker can do."

"Maybe. We can only hope than nothing of the kind will ever happen. Hope, and do everything in our power to ensure it doesn't."

Out in the hall on their way to classes all were talking about the fight, practically going through it blow for blow. Harry didn't listen to any of it, there was no point. He had been there and seen it for himself. It wasn't until one part of the conversation caught his attention.

"Who would have thought that it would have been Keller to save that professor's life? And that shield, I'd say it's got to be as strong as the Harker girl's right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, probably. Who knew Keller though had it in him to be human?" Seamus said and the students continued on to their way, talking nothing other than the fight. Harry and Ron shook their heads. Some thing never changed. By the end of the day there would a thousand different versions of the exact same thing that everyone saw. Harry though just couldn't shake the feeling that this was going to end something like second year. Only it would be more than one student that the school would be out to lynch.

* * *

**Wednesday**

Defense Against the Dark Arts had been coming close to having the worst lessen it had all year. Today was purely a lecture day and all having read the materials, thus already knew everything that was being said. Needless to say, most weren't as attentive as they should have been and it especially didn't help that it was a double class. Lucius on most days would have thrown out any student he thought not paying explicit attention to him in his own class but he knew how tedious this section was. So he continued on ignoring drooping eyes, heads and the particularly loud snores coming from one Gryffindor in the back. That was probably the hardest part of the entire lesson so far for him, stopping himself from beating the damn child.

"-the curse of the young which is a curse that travels the lines and affects the youngest born of that line, was developed as a way to punish a family by taking the most seemingly loved child. If you think about it most do seem to dote on are the eldest and youngest child more so than the others. Now, this mattered little to some seeing as they already had an heir, all other children were nei important. The bloodlines curse was one though that would affect all of the line, both the parents and the children to anyone who shared blood with the one it was cast upon. The more there were to a family the less the affects would be felt, developed in a time of war to always know when an away son was in danger. However, it was found that with the less there were to that bloodline that more the pain would be felt throughout; to such a point where that if there were few enough any pain of one member would be felt as that to the others almost as their own. It truly is a curse. It has not been used in over a hundred years and is close to being lost. Now, that concludes the section on curses that travel through means of the family. As an assignment for this chapter I want a two foot essay on these curses covered within and all that is involved in them." Groans enveloped the room. Lucius was half tempted to double the assignment. With as much as was cover, twenty curses or so with any minor curses that could be attached with the, he thought his assignment was very generous. He had in fact given them enough to write a twenty foot paper. Shaking his head though he continued on.

"Now we shall focus the rest of the time on a different path today, on one spell in particular. This spell is very old and most of the time would never be taught or even shown to students, but I have been informed that there are a few who have decided to look into becoming animagi-" At this three pairs of eyes, one belonging to a red head, a brunette and the last a raven haired boy, shot towards Draco. The blonde, who at the moment was examining his very pristine manicured nails, seeming to be looking for any flaws in the work though the three knew there were none. They had talked about it, Harry especially, in very _private_ talks. The fact Draco had passed that on to his father was very unnerving. They all wondered what else the blond had passed on. "-so seeing as they will likely appear upon this anyway, and that your dear Madam Pomfrey has become agitated with all the dueling accidents and in consequence to that, me, this is what we shall be doing today. Once through with the discussion I will cast the spell on all of you, one at a time. Now-"

While Professor Malfoy went over all that was required in the spell, the effects, how it worked and everything else that was included with it, Harry was thinking over the class they all would come Friday. On Friday they would have their first class in self-defense, muggle self-defense. Personally Harry thought the idea was intriguing and was looking forward to it, especially if things kept up how they had been in the school.

In one day the school had reverted back to the start of term, with high tensions and things bordering on cruel pranks. This time though it wasn't mutant verse magic but mutant verse mutant and all magical where staying the hell out of it or being caught in the middle. Xavier's students had taken a very hard dislike to the Brotherhood being here and the Morlocks were being hit with them almost surely for the fact that they had come at the same time as the others. It was mostly the children of the Brotherhood though who had gone all out to cause a mini war within the school. Harry thought to himself that the mixture of mutant powers with two groups of teenagers who hate one another had proved that, maybe bringing them together wasn't the smartest plan.

Lucius was telling his students they would first need to take a potion that would allow them to change without any pain. He really thought it wasn't needed but when he had been discussed with the headmaster that was soon thrown to the wind. Pomfrey had been in the room at the time and she had nearly decapitated him when he had said he had not planed on using it. When he got to telling them about the spell though he noticed that not every student was paying attention to him. He didn't stop in his lecture, he just merely continued on showing no indication how irritated he found himself to be. Earlier there was an excuse for not listening. Blood curses were rare and the last to ever be cast and known about was seventy three years ago. That was publicly known anyway. The whole subject in itself was a hardly used or even a discovered art purely being for the fact that it was so dark that no one touched in it. No one. Voldemort and a seldom few others were the rare exception. That he could understand not having any interesting in. This though was something he knew the boy would be coming across and using at some point, seeing as he was one of the ones he mention earlier. So Lucius merely continued on. When the practical came though, well, he smirked on the inside for if he actually showed it his students might run from the room.

Suddenly Harry was jerked out of his thoughts by a very hard jab to the ribs on both sides of him. While Ron merely took to glaring at him Hermione pointed her head towards the Professor. Looking up he winced.

"Yes sir?" Professor Malfoy was looking expectedly down at him and Harry had no idea as to why. He did know that the next thing said was not going to be pretty.

"I just asked everyone who did not wish to be the first to demonstrate to raise their hands and you were the only one to not. So I see you have volunteered to be the first to try this out Mr. Potter. Come up here please." He turned away from his student but Lucius heard the sharp intake of breath. Oh he was going to enjoy this.

Hesitating, Harry half thought to raise his hand but knew better than to be a smart aleck in Malfoy's class. Besides, Malfoy was turned away so the gesture wouldn't have done him any good anyway. He also knew there was no way out of this so he got up and walked around the desks to the front. What had he been talking about? Something to do with a potion and-

"Mr. Potter, we do not have all day." Lucius held out the potion to the boy and wondered if he was actually going to take it. For someone who had defeated the darkest lord in a few hundred years you would think that he wouldn't look like a scared animal at the prospect of turning into one. Oh how he would laugh if the boy turned into something ridicules. As he recalled Severus had been quite somber of late. He was sure his old friend could do with a laugh as well.

Harry really did not want to take something to which he didn't even know what it was. While he might have trusted the son, the father was a whole other matter. At a quick glance he saw the rest of the class were fine if not looking a tad excited so it couldn't be that bad, right? Claming down he summoned his Gryffindor courage and downed the vile. Big mistake.

Almost falling to the ground he found himself bent over and coughing. He wanted nothing more than to throw it up because he could still taste it, taste the putrid tinge one thought of associated with rank eggs mixed with the vile affect of scummy water left in a rusty basin for far too many years to count, but he knew from experience than once a potion was down it stayed that way. Part of the special magic to them was they did not come back up.

So, standing back up he barely got a chance to even see the wand pointed at him before a spell came rushing towards him. He didn't remember anything said about a spell! Malfoy was at most six feet away. There was no way he could have blocked even if he had wanted to.

Hitting him his entire body began to change rapidly. Falling to all fours his bones began to twist and creak and snap. His spine bending so it no longer ran parallel to as his arms and legs but parallel to the ground. He was surprised when he felt no pain through the whole thing but guessed that maybe that was what the potion was for. While it was uncomfortable it was more like that new eye glass prescription uncomfortable, where everything was just different. When everything was done he found that at some point the had closed his eyes and had laid down on the ground. Shaking himself he stood up and opened his eyes.

When Potter opened his eyes Lucius was more than shocked. Such a exquisite creature his form was that he was amazed but his eyes, brilliant green too familiar to the killing curse but also... but that just couldn't be, it had to be simply a trick of the light.

What Harry saw when he opened his eyes was also shocking but not for the same reason as his teacher. He had fur. A very think matt of pure black fur and it was everywhere from what he could tell. Looking behind him he also saw a tail and looking up at the class he saw he was standing at about knee height of the professor. He was however a bit shocked that he was seeing everything in shades of black and green. Soon he was pulled away from his self evaluation when he heard one of the girls in the class speak.

"Oh, he so cute." Looking up all the girls were cooing over him. No, no, no! He was not cute no matter what his form was, he was not cute! Whatever he was, he was sure he was a very manly and rugged beast known for their fury. There was no way fate could be so cruel as to make him, cute! Speaking of that though, what was he?

Hermione seeing her friend look so confused as he tried looking himself over she decided to answer his question. "Harry, you make one very fine wolf cub. Remus is going to officially take you in now I think."

He was a wolf? An actual wolf. In some part of his mind he had thought that maybe he was going to be like his father, and he had hated that idea. While he loved his dad, he was not him. They were two completely different people and he found his form both proved that and to be absolutely brilliant!

He was so excited he started running around the room, as happy as a new born cub, laughing or as close as he could get to that as a wolf could and the whole class was laughing with him. He didn't know it was because not only were his antics hysterical but the fact that while he was running around their professor was trying to turn him back and having no luck. Lucius spent a full five minutes chasing cub Harry around the room before Harry finally had had enough and jumped on to the desk in front of Hermione and Ron and then waited patiently for his teachers to catch up. Simply sitting there he looked up at the blonde man and wanted to cower but he could only find himself yelping happily. He never felt so good and free as he did at that moment. But even in this childish perception his mind had taken on he knew he needed to turn back and the only way he was going to do that was when he teacher got his breath back and stood up strait and turned him himself.

Coming to a stop in front of Potter who had finally stopped he glared at the impertinent pup. He was just sitting there with his friends behind him petting him! With a swish of his wand Harry turned back to normal only this time nothing stopped the tinge of pain he felt. He guessed that since he spent so much time in his form that the potion had worn off a bit. He didn't mind though, he had felt worse after all and when the change was completely done he jumped off the table and walked around back to his seat. See, nothing too serious in amounts of pain. Yet somehow as Lucius watched the older man did not find himself as satisfied as he would have liked.

"Thank you Mr. Potter for that brilliant display of stupidity. It's not a wonder that you aren't withering on the ground in pain for surely the potion which was to last a minute at most would have worn off."

Looking up Harry did wince a bit. It hadn't hurt too much changing back but he was a little sore. Nothing too serious though"Um, yeah it did hurt a bit but it wasn't much."

Malfoy merely sighed. That boy. If he hardly hurt coming out of his first transformation then he might be a natural animagus and considering his father was- he was suddenly jousted from his thoughts though when he saw a hand go up in the air. Miss Granger of course. "Yes Miss Granger?" What irritating question was she going to be asking this time he wondered.

"I was just wondering, will all of our forms be younger version of the animals we will be changing into? From all my readings in this subject I haven't come across a reason why they would be, even if the person themselves were young."

"That, actually is quite a good question Miss Granger. Most times you will not actually see that happen and I suppose the only reason it happened today with Mr. Potter was that we essentially forced his form out. The only reason ones form would be like how you saw today is if your magic is not fully developed. You see, your animagus form is in actuality a reflection of ones magic. Your animagus reflects your magic and your magic according to some theories in turn reflects ones soul. Usually one would not be able to produce a form if their magic was not fully matured, they simply would not be strong enough to do so." He glanced quickly at Harry and then returned his gaze to the rest of the class. He wanted to get away from this subject so he quickly continued on. "But like I said earlier, the reason for this spell is merely to show you what your form is. Now moving on who is next."

This time no one hesitated to be the next one to go and so the class went on. Yet Harry, while he watch with more attention than he had at the beginning of class, still found his mind wondering. Professor Malfoy had said he was a cub wolf because his magic wasn't fully matured? But he was seventeen, he had already reached his majority, right before school had started. How could his magic have anymore to grow? Already he was thought of as powerful, some speculated he was more so than even Dumbledore, but he couldn't even imagine how he could be more so when he couldn't imagine even what was thought before.

By the end of the class he had pulled himself away from his thoughts and became more focused on his friends. Ron it turned out was a fox, which was funny seeing as he kept his red hair which was about a hundred times as vibrant as an actual fox's. Hermione though surprised him. It was in a way almost like he should have expected it really, the two are quite alike. Seeing Hermione in doe vision though didn't sting as much as he would have thought, to be so reminded of his mother, but made him laugh. He had expected something like an owl or otter but this truly did fit more.

The larger shock that surprised everyone except the prat himself and his father was Draco though. Harry thought the girls actually thought he would have turned into a dragon or something by how they were at the ready to shield themselves or run. But no, as much as Draco would have loved to have been a magical creature he wasn't. Instead of the fantasy going around in the naïve girls in the rooms heads, he turned into a white, almost peril colored panther. His fur was as sleek as his usual hair and his nails as pristine as one would ever hope for. They knew this because the arrogant git actually took the time to look them over, every single one of them, in minute examination, before he would let his father turn him back. Exceeding the limits of the potion he had been in a world of hurt but the blond never showed it. Harry and the others saw it only because the blonde actually aloud himself to slump a tiny bit afterwards for a mere moment.

Class ended with everyone chatting excitedly as they left for the day. Harry noticed as everyone was leaving that they all seemed almost drained and tired. More than one of his class mates were yawning. He wondered if it was a consequence of the changing but he wondered why he felt nothing close to it. In fact he felt ready to bounce off the walls and then play a game of that football which Piotr and Kurt liked so much. Maybe it was because his form didn't take so much out of him because it wasn't fully matured? Not wanting to over examine it he merely let it slip from his mind; save it for a conversation with Hermione he thought.

As the seventh years were leaving the classroom Lucius watched Harry. All of his classmates looked as though they were about to drop down on the very floor they were walking and sleep for the next week, but Potter seemed to be an exception. If anything the elder Malfoy would have guessed he was on a sugar rush by they way he was hoping about, exclaiming on everything that had happened during the class and the boy had been in his animagus form twice as long as the rest. Interesting. It seemed to him that a very high endurance was a family trait for Potters.

What was most interesting though was the sight he had seen within the eyes after he had first changed. It was only as he was first coming out of the transformation which after he never was able to get another good look at them. So slight anyone would have missed it or thought of as a light's gleam were white lines, almost seeming like cracks running through the entire eye. At this he had no idea what he thought, what that meant, or really even if he had seen it. It would seem though that he would have to keep a closer eye of him. Thinking on it, after the conversation he had yesterday, or lack of one, Lucius knew he needed to talk with Harry about what was going on as well. Sitting down at his desk he started to think when the perfect time for that would be. Maybe he could tell the boy a few other things as well.

Out in the hall all the student were talking about the class. Though many of them looked ready to fall over that didn't prevent any of them from being any less excited about their forms. Maybe less exuberant, but no less excited.

"Can you believe it? That was the best class ever!" Seamus practically shouted down the hall. The Irish red head was met with many agreements. Draco who had been walking with a little behind the group smirked at that. He was proud his father had gained such a compliment. All those in their year always implored that Lupin had always had the best classes. Though it wasn't like there were any others really to vie for that compliment, it was a compliment non the less.

"Yeah man. Some of our forms though shocked the shikers out of me." Ron looked behind him. Draco saw this and wondered what the next attack was going to be. He found his smile at the compliment for his father vanished. "Now yes, Harry the big, strong baby wolf," They all laughed. "and Hermione, well it fits with her all doe eye over me all the time." To that there was laughter but also Hermione slapping his arm. Ignoring her Ron glanced at Draco. "And Draco," Again he looked behind him. "well, a panther." Whistles. "a 'perily white image of perfection' no less. Well, that's pretty impressive."

At that everyone started to snicker. One of the girls in their class had said it and Draco knew without a doubt by the end of the day he would have heard nothing else from everyone. Yet he noticed the red headed hadn't insulted him and almost let out a smile. He stopped himself before he did though, wouldn't want to scare the little lions would he?

"Yes, my form is the picture of perfection I'd say. A sleek smooth panther, strong an powerful, yet with all the grace Merlin could grant one. Again I say, perfection." Smirking he saw that Harry and Hermione were laughing hard enough they needed to lean against one another to keep from falling. This time he did smile. Any of his old friends would never have seen that for what it was, joking around. Not that he cracked too many last year or before but still, they never would have gotten it. "And Weasel, who would have thought it, a fox. Cunning little creatures those. Maybe you do have a little bit of Slytherin in you."

Ron's immediate cringe and gagging was what sent Harry and Hermione too far. Hermione was able to catch the wall before she fell all the way but Harry hadn't been so lucky. He hit hard yet he was still laughing the entire time as was. Smiling Draco went to offer his hand to help Harry up and found another hand was stuck out at well. Still grimacing Ron stood besides him yet he was standing besides him. Only a few months ago the two wouldn't have even been able to think such a thing possible.

Harry watched on, half waiting for the blows to come and half relieved they hadn't already. As the two helped him up he vaguely noticed the other Gryffindors looked shocked. The golden trio was not only associating with Draco Malfoy but laughing with him, …,…,… with him!! Harry just shook his head. They should have been used to this by now.

"So mighty panther, you up for-"

"He's not a panther." Hermione suddenly said. At the looks given she continued. "Panther is a word used to describe a large cat in general. I believe actually that he was a jaguar, the holds the dominate allele in the cell compared to the leopard which is the recessive. Although the two are so similar…" At seeing their blanks looks she trailed off. After a moment she asked. "What? I was doing some background research for one of my classes. Genetics and the theory of evolution have been the main topic as of late. But back to this if you are going to call him something then at least call it by the proper name."

"Yes," Ron said with a raise voice and upturned nose. "we must call it by it proper name. He's a _jaguar_, not a _panther!_ How ever could you get that wrong?!"

Laughing at his joke he never saw the hand coming until it had already hit. Rubbing the back of his head he scowled. "What was that for?"

"For being a prat." She started to walk away and the two boys followed her. When she noticed that there was one fewer that how many she expected she stopped and turned. "Are you coming Malfoy?"

Draco for a moment was shocked. Shaking his head though he guessed this was a friendship. Asking instead of demanding. Funny, he thought. He actually would not have been apposed to having found this years ago. "Of course, you can't rush perfection though. You have to let it get there in it's own time."

"Yeah, yeah, we know your perfect, now can we get on our way? Making Hermione wait to get to her books is the stupidest thing in the world and usually ends in more time spent there to repent for what was lost." Harry stated already walking towards their destination. He heard the others behind him and then turned around and walked backwards while he asked. "Hey, Hermione, did you see the guy who talked to me yesterday after the fight? He said his name was Magneto. I didn't know who he was but I thought you might."

Thinking for a moment it took a bit before he saw that look of recognition hit. When it did though it was followed by, nervousness? "Um yeah, he's the leader of the Brotherhood. I really don't know much more than that other than he was there at the final battle."

Harry's eye's widened. That was where! He had thought he might have seen the older man before but he couldn't think where. And from what he had seen if the Brotherhood, many of them seemed out to cause problems. Yes, the first fight was a Morlock but the rest had been the Brotherhood. If was shocking how much trouble they had caused in only a days amount of time. He really didn't think it was a great thing if the leader was interested in him.

"Yeah I remember him." Draco's word had taken them all by surprise. "Him and his groups had stuck out more than the others in the battle. The Dark Lord was actually impressed and almost, pleased with how he saw them fighting." All the worry Harry had moments ago vanished. Now he a thousand times more so. This, this wasn't good.

Hermione looked so as well. "I think Harry that-"

"If he's interested in me, we might have another problem. I just don't get why? I mean, yeah I fought well, if I hadn't I wouldn't be here, but why take an interest in me in particular?" He stopped walking when he realized they had come up to the library.

Walking in they lowered their voices as they made their way to their usual table. "Because you would be a great asset to him. He probably is thinking the best way you would be of use to him. As much as he worries me though we have a lot of other things to be thinking about. Like the last horcrux and your strange new powers and finding out all we can about them. Crazy old man in the weird get up is going to have to take the back rear for awhile."

Hermione and strangely Draco shared a look over that. It was Draco who commented. "Which one? Magneto or Dumbledore."

Snickering lightly Ron merely nodded while Hermione got up to get a few books. The others took out their own work and had already set to it by the time she had returned with only a small mountain. When she returned Harry remembered he had another thing he wanted to ask her. "Hermione, what does Kentucky have to do with chicken?"

She looked at him oddly for a second until she realized what he was asking about. Smiling she proceeded to explain about the restaurant and explain it's reason in the comment from yesterday. By the time she was done Harry had been laughing so hard he had both fallen out of his chair and then proceeded to be kicked out of the library.

* * *

**Thursday**

Hermione and the other students were all sitting listening to their lecture. Professor Monroe still had several tell-tale signs of the fight but nothing that looked too bad. Some of the students though couldn't get past this. Hermione on the other hand was much more interested in the lecture that the lecturer.

"Now class, today we will be continuing going over the theory of evolution. Many people still fight over it, under arguments such as that God created everything and that the pure chance of what evolution is thought of is outrageous. There have been arguments since this theory came out and it probably will continue to be fought over until a time where there is no one left to fight over this. Yet on the side for evolution there are some who argue that the very existence of mutants proves evolution is true. Can anyone tell me why?"

A few hands were raised. One student, a girl with red hair similar to the Weasley's answered and a Scottish accent. "Some say it's the only way to explain why were are here. That mutants are an evolution of the norms." In the time Hermione had been there she had heard several terms for normal people. Norm was one of the politer ones.

The professor nodded her head accepting this answer. "That is true. The mere fact the we exist is proof enough to some. Yet that does not prove anything on one side or the other of the argument. Our existence had been said to be a blessing from God and that we are gifts-"

"Or abominations." One of the students said. With this there were others who nodded their heads but Ororo seemed angered.

"We are not abominations and I never want to hear that from you again Mr. Guthrie." The Kentuckian mutant bowed his head at that as did the few that agreed with him. If there was another thing Hermione had learned it was that the professors here were severely against any student saying anything so self deprecating. Thinking back to second year Hermione wished that her teachers had been a bit more like that. With all the nonsense of the heir of Slytherin, a teacher like Monroe would have been wonderful. "People who say things like that are the uneducated who do not take the time learn what we are. They see something that is so different from them and like it is with the nature of all things they fear that. Getting back to the subject at hand though, can anyone tell me exactly what it is that makes a mutant a mutant? Mr. Costo?"

"Um, that one gene, the um… the X-gene! Anyone who has it has powers which makes them one of us." The Brazilian teen answered cockily. There were a few laughs around the room. Hermione leaned forward, wondering where this was going. The X-gene was something she had found fascinating and very interested in. She also had noticed a few things while researching.

Ororo smiled down at the teen. "Unfortunately you are only partially right. That was what was thought for years until recently. When this specific gene was looked at more closely it was found that like all other genes in the genome there is a recessive and a dominate. Those with the dominate of the gene do have powers. Yet there was another thing discovered as well that has led to many question. When looked at other members of a mutants family it is seen that they sometimes as well have this gene. It is the recessive but given that most people do not have this gene it is thought that even if you have the recessive you should show some signs, yet when it is in it's recessive form it seem almost dormant. However, with every piece of information we know there has been no pattern as to what causes this gene to change from receive to dominate. Usually with the pairing of two recessive would show something of the trait but with the X-gene that has proven to not be the case. We can't say at the moment that we even have an idea what it is that changes the X-gene from being dormant to what we know as when we are given our powers. Yes Rahne?"

"Isn't evolution usually said to be a way to keep a species alive, as a way for them to say alive. Like in the industrial era black months survived because they could blend in better that white months. The moths with the mutation in the genes making them black carried on. Is it possible that mutants did the same? What threat did we evolve to fight?" The Scottish mutant asked, not expecting anything really out of her question. By the smile on her face Hermione could tell that she had merely asked the question as a joke in a way.

Professor Munroe though didn't answer right away. She like others had a thought on what was behind their evolution but she would not voice it. There was already a underline hatred going through the school already. Yes, most of the mutants and wizards got along at the moment but it would take but a single push for all that to vanish. It seemed however she didn't need to.

"It was us, wasn't it?" Hermione almost whispered but everyone in the room heard it. She didn't notice. She had been listening very intently and with everything she had seen and heard and found researching there were a few things that just fit together. Ororo almost wished she hadn't accepted the girl into her class. There was no way this would end alright. Hermione continued on not knowing her professors inner turmoil. "It would make sense. I did some research and I've noticed that there is a very larger number of mutants the age of about sixteen and up, yet there are far fewer younger mutants than that, and many of those were born from mutants. I'm willing to bet that there is a large influx of mutants born around World War I as well followed by a slower rate. Am I correct?"

"Yes, yes you are." Ororo wondered if she was going where she thought she was heading. Hermione may have not had years of normal schooling but she was the brightest of all her students, with the exception of one or two.

"What does World War I have to do with anything about us mutant?" One of the other students in the class asked.

With that, Hermione continued on. hesitantly "World War I was when Grinwauld, a dark lord, was in power and he threatened muggles extensively. He thought along the lines of Voldemort. And then a little more than twenty years ago Voldemort appeared, fighting and killing muggles with his obscene ideas of blood purity and fell, sixteen years ago. It seems every time muggles have come to be threatened or in great danger because of magic, more mutants are born. It might be safe to say you evolved to be on equal par with us, to survive the threat of magic."

"So you are saying we here to fight you?" Someone asked angrily. She winced. She knew that there were several mutants in the school who wished they had never come to have their powers. For all of them, they looked for a face to put onto the problem of their mutation and usually only found their own. Right now she was giving them another one and one they would more likely be aggressive towards. She decided she needed to hurry on with her thoughts.

"Not necessarily, to catch up maybe. Through out the years humans have been at the top of the chain, facing little threat to where evolution was needed perhaps? The magical world has been isolated from the muggle society since magic was first in existence, even here in America. It would seem when ever there has been a mass exposure of magic to humans there is in response a step in evolution to maybe put them on an equal level. I looked it up. In the records in the library of all the mutants there that are known there are many whose birth correspond to some time where magic was excessively exposed. Unfortunately, history shows that the only time such exposure has happened was when, was when someone thought they should kill all muggles." Silence. Hermione couldn't even look up. If there was ever a time she thought one could die from a glare it was now. She might not have seen it but she knew they were there. "But it's only a thought. I could be, entirely wrong. It's just a few thoughts and assumptions and jumps in ideas. There is no way to even prove any of them-"

Before she could say anything else, the bell wrung and all the students started to get up and collect their things. Hermione just sat there and waited. Once most of them were gone she started to get up as well. She was a little distraught. There was no way that when she left this classroom there wasn't going to be a school full of mutants who were going to be very angry with her.

As she continued to gather her things at a reluctant pace, she noticed that there was still two people in the room. Harker and professor Monroe both were talking. Taking her time more so Hermione listed to what was being said.

"-I feel I should apologize-" Harker started but Monroe didn't let her finish.

"There's no need to Harker. You know that if anyone had intervened in the fight she would have called a foul and taken leadership. You did what was right and stayed out of it. Besides, I have a feeling your apology would have been a little empty if you had finished. it" Out of the corner of her eye Hermione saw Monroe giving Harker a certain piercing look yet Harker didn't look abashed or ashamed that she had been called out on it. The raven haired girl merely nodded her head. After a moment Monroe continued. "Anyway, professor Xavier wanted to see you after class. He said something about another job."

"Alright, thank you professor. Is there anything special I should read or do while I'm away?"

"No, you already know what we will be coving for the next two weeks. If your gone longer than that then start reading up on mitosis and cell reproduction. I'll give you any homework when you get back." Monroe instructed and with that Harker left. After a moment Hermione gather the last of her things and then walked out as well. As she passed the professor's desk she saw that Professor Monroe looked a little shocked to see she was still there. Hermione didn't say anything and just continued to leave. She wondered if this was something she should tell Harry. If Harker was gone then…

Continuing on her way and lost in her thoughts she never noticed the few looks she received. Making it to the dinning hall she begun to make her way over to where she saw Harry and Ron when suddenly there was a loud bang, screaming and chaos throughout the hall. Fireworks were going off and in the panic of the room she could see these fireworks were chasing after a few Brotherhood mutants. She would have simply shook her head at that if she hadn't suddenly seen one coming at her. Ducking, it soared over head but looking around she saw it come right back around and at her again. A quick Protego stopped that one, but the one behind her she wasn't so lucky with. When she turned around she got a face full of fire red and pungent purple sparks which ended up knocking her over.

Harry, who only just saw his friend, saw her get hit and rushed over. Behind him were Ron and Amanda. Coming to her side he saw her hair was lightly on fire and before he could do anything Ron put them out with a quick Aguamenti but Hermione was drenched. Together the two helped her up. Other than a soot blackened face with some hints of redness she seemed fine. Her hair though was a lost cause. Burnt and crisp, it was completely fired. Harry vaguely noticed that the was a teacher somewhere yelling at someone but he was much more concerned with Hermione.

"Hermione, are you ok?" She nodded her head a bit but seemed a little dazed from the impacr. Merlin, that was an Xavier student who had done that. He had been watching a few Xavier student's and Brotherhood members yelling and next thing he had known there was a fight with full use of powers. He wanted to say Hermione had just got caught in the middle but he had seen how not only one but two fireworks had specifically make towards her. That he just didn't get. Why would anyone of them have gone after Hermione?

"Hey girl, let's go and get you cleaned up, ok?" Amanda cooed over her. Again Hermione just nodded her head and together the two made their way out of the hall. Harry and Ron didn't follow even if they both wanted to. They had a feeling this was one of those moments that required a female touch. While the two were walking Hermione sluggishly was checking her books in her bag to see if any had gotten burnt or wet, yet Amanda was glaring at almost every mutant in the hall. Once they had left Harry turned to Ron.

"I wonder what happened? I've never seen any of the mutants go after anyone like that, not in a few weeks anyways." The two made their way back to their seats both wondering what was going on. Both were worried about Hermione and added to that they both thought along with every other magical student that this was the start of another war between mutants and themselves. Neither of the two said anything and just set their lunch, all the while thinking about their friend, in Ron's case his girlfriend. Soon though a bit of conversation drew them out of their thoughts and into what was being said at the table.

It was Dean who was talking, trying to make a joke out of the situation to lighten the mood. "Was it just me of did she look like Seamus after Potions class?" While he laughed lightly and a few others along with him, he never saw the two glares aimed at him. When he did though, he promptly shut up. The rest of lunch passed as a silent and very uncomfortable affair.

* * *

Ok, here it is! At the moment this isn't beta'd and I really just wanted to get his out today so I know there are mistakes in this. By the time I get the next chapter up hopefully I will have gotten to edit this one better. On to the next note, again another hopefully, I will be able to get next chapter up sometime in the next few days. It was pretty much apart of this chapter but since I was having such a hard time writing I cut it almost in half. The fighting lesson and the quidditch game will be in there like I promised.

Now to everyone who has reviewed, thank you so much! I have gotten some really great ones, some of which I think are the only reason why I was able to get his out at all. So again, thank you.

OK, now for your guys's opinion. In the description I said old dead faces will come back. I hadn't meant to have Harry's parents or Sirius but I can. Would anyone be interested in that? Also, I thought of making a side story about Jackie and Harker. Again would anyone be interested in that. If you are in either let me know. Also I said I would have a list of all the mutants I plan on using and their powers. Do you guys want that or not? Up to you.

Last, a large shout out to my beta who has reapeared! He's awsome and great. Thanks Ryuus2!!!!!!!

**And with that I leave off with Merry Christmas everyone. I wanted to give everyone a present and since this was the only thing I could give I hope you all enjoy it. Later!**


	12. A Chance Taken Mutant list

Hey everyone, thanks for all the reviews, I actually feel like this story is worth writing from some of them. Thanks again. Now here is the next chapter.

But first to my reviewer Blah…(? , haha): Thanks for the advice. I hated that chapter because I simply am not all that good at writing action sequences. If I ever rewrite it I promise to take that suggestion and will have a mass shout out for you.

* * *

**Thursday**

Grading papers and waiting for his next class Severus sighed. Now that the war was over he wondered why he still taught. He could have taken off to work on his experiments, gotten away from England and all the idiocy of the wizarding world. Yet, there was the supreme satisfaction he found from tormenting students. He found himself sighing again; if only they knew how much they did for him.

Reading yet another abysmal paper by a fifth year, he heard foot steps and assuming they were a students' did nothing but continue what he was doing. When he heard them coming closer and then he saw a pair of high heels too conservative and expensive to ever be a students he looked up. To his shock in front of him stood Ms. Munroe.

"Good afternoon Ms. Munroe. How can I help you?" Standing up he walked around his desk so he stood in front of her. In the time they had been here he didn't think that any of the mutant professors had ever visited any of his or his colleague's classes.

"Madame Pomfrey was busy at the moment as well as McGonagall so she sent me to ask if you could make a few potions. She's running a little low in her stocks she said."

"That's impossible. I made a brand new batch of everything only a few weeks ago. She can't have gone through it already," he frowned.

"Yes, she said that too. But apparently one of your students was badly pranked in the dinning hall. Considering that she thinks that she might have need for these soon." She handed him a list and he looked it over. Nothing extraordinary: sleep potions, bruising balm, burn salve, blood-replenishing, calming draught, pepper-up; all which would only take a few hours. While looking over the list he heard Monroe sigh.

"If only we had things like that. Something that could instantly heal bruises, burns and broken bones. It would be a God send to have things like those." She looked almost longingly at the list. Looking at her, the part of him that usually would have scoffed was quiet. Instead he explained.

"It's not so simple as that. They do not instantly heal nor are they fool proof. It all depends on the quality. The half-brains some of my students are could brew the exact potion as I, yet theirs would do nothing other than fill a gut or make a mess. And while I have exceptional skills, potion are still not the miracle workers you believe."

With a curious smile on her face she answered. "Still, to have something that did work as well as potions do would be wonderful. If only it were possible." Turning around she left, yet Snape began to wonder. No one really knew what would happen if a mutant took a potion. It was just assumed that they would react the same as a muggle; that it either wouldn't work or would act as a poison considering the ingredients. Yet…what if?

Brought out of his pondering he realized Munroe was gone and his students all there. Starting the lesson he yelled, insulted and flat out verbally injured them all. Just like any other day. But his class noticed he had less acid to him than usual and he found his mind kept wandering back to his earlier thoughts. It was definitely something to look into.

* * *

**Friday**

Harry sighed. It had it been such a long week. Too long to even want to think about. First the new arrivals from Hell and then it seemed all his classes were replaced with torture sessions from the inquisition's time. Fred and George were lucky they cut out before their seventh year. Harry could only imagine what he would have done if he had, and in every scenario it was always a hell of a lot more relaxed. However, that really seemed unlikely knowing who he was thinking about.

"Hey Harry!" Turning, he saw that Rogue and Hermione were walking up to him. After yesterday with what had happened in class the mutants had taken to going after magical students again, mostly Hermione. There had only been pranks pulled on her but it surprised him how many there had been. Yesterday there were four, all after the one at lunch. Harry didn't even know how many had tried today. Seeing Rogue with her he found himself smiling.

There were the few who had proved they were true friends. Kurt, Amanda, Poitr, Kitty, Sam, and Rogue. It was the last who help the most though. While Kurt and Amanda yelled and screamed and terrorized anyone who even thought about anything to do with Hermione, Rogue was the one who had stopped them. After dinner last night, it had been decided that someone should always be around and Rogue was the one who volunteered. Not that he complained, it gave him a reason to see her more.

Since the dance the two had been dancing around each other and it had only grown odder after his invitation to go with him on the trip. He didn't regret it but while the both of them wanted to be…close, it was hard to see that becoming possible. Harker had said nothing more about something for Rogue, but it wasn't like Harker really talked to anyone. Rogue he found was very uncomfortable putting so much trust in the girl.

Hermione briefly smiled at him and then made her way over to Ron, leaving Harry and Rogue alone. As Harry spoke they started to walk. "Hello yourself Rogue. What are you doing now?" There was nothing in this direction except the gym and while he was on his way to a self defense class, he didn't know why she would be heading there.

"Same reason as ya." Looking over he saw her smile almost coyly at him. Or, maybe he did know? He could only look back shocked with a hint of amusement.

He raised a brow again at her and asked hoping to get a little bit more of an explanation. "You are on your way to, on quote, 'a remedial self defense class in which we are all likely to die'?"

"What?" She asked. Rogue looked half confused and half amused. He mused he probably looked the same when he had first heard Kurt explain the class to him too. Shaking his head he explained, although he thought the whole idea was to get her to.

"Kurt, when he found out that all us magical students were getting a class from Professor Logan on self defense, started to inform everyone exactly what we were in for. He was exaggerating just a little, right?"

Rogue looked away for a second and had a very hard time hiding her smirk. He looked almost nervous and with all rights he should be. She just didn't have the heart to tell him how much Kurt was probably _under-_exaggerating. And she really felt sorry for him because he was not going to be walking straight afterwards tonight. She couldn't imagine what he was going to do tomorrow in his game.

"Yea, he was just tryin' ta scare ya. Ya know him and how he joke's." She couldn't look at him as she fought the smile of her face. It was horrible, she knew that, but at the same time too funny. She like every other mutant here remembered her first 'remedial class' with Logan. There simply was nothing that could be said to prepare anyone for them.

Letting out his breath he smiled again. "Good then." He sounded so relieved that it took every ounce of her control not to laugh sympathetically.

The two talked for a few more minutes, in which Harry never did get his answer, until they entered the gym. Walking in they immediately saw that Logan was waiting for all the upper year wizarding students with about a dozen of the older mutant students who Rogue went join. He guessed he got his answer. He also saw Amanda and Kurt were there as well as Sam, Poitr, Kitty and Keller. The others Harry didn't know except for Harker. Looking around at each other the magicals wondered what exactly all that was about. When told about this it was explicitly said that more older and _experienced _students would be helping out. All the others were either older or at least their age, while she was sixteen. Then again, Harry was still in a bit of shock that Rogue and the others were there as well.

As soon as all were there that were meant to be Logan stepped forward. "Welcome to self defense class. Now, before we start I want you all to run ten laps around the gym, go as long as you can… Well, what are you waiting for? Get moving!"

Scared at being growled at before the class had even started they took off. Most didn't make it to the fourth lap, poor Neville not even the second. Draco and Harry both made it to the end along with a very few others, most of whom were quidditch players, but they were winded to the point they were bent over, trying desperately to regain their breath.

Panting for their breaths though did not hinder their ability to hear what the mutants next words were. "One of the main problems with the wizarding school system is you have no such thing as a fitness class."

Seamus, who had barely made it to five laps, was the one person in the entire school who was actually stupid enough to fight the burly mutant on that. "We have our D.A.D.A. class. Always been good enough before."

At this Logan's entire attention was turned to the Irish student. At the taller man's stare Seamus cowered. "Really? If you were to get into a fight with any student in this school you would loose, simple as that. Without your wands, which ain't to be used outside of your classes and dorms, you'd be down in a second. Even the youngest of my students could take you all and because you have never had any decent classes you are also massively unfit as a whole. Only a few of you were even able to finish your laps, and those were easy compared to what else you all will be doin' in here. In this class not only will you learn how to fight well enough to defend yourselves, without your magic, you will also be kicked, and if need be beaten, into shape. Now today I want you to start with some stretches. Guys, go ahead and lead them in that." With those instructions he gave the reigns to his students. As he turned he saw a few of the magicals slack jawed. Probably figured he never talked. Truth was the was the most he had all week.

Snape and Malfoy, who had watched from the shadows since the beginning, watched as he came over. Logan thought to himself about Malfoy as he walked. Who knew what blonde was going to say about this. He already looked outraged by what his kid was doing. _Wheezing for breath must be an un-Malfoy thing to do_ Logan mused. He chuckled. He would bet Summer's bike that those would be the first thing out of the pretty boy's mouth.

Coming to a stop he glanced back at the students. He found it funny seeing the next generation of X-Men teaching already. Charles would probably get all shiny eyed right about now. Thinking about it he probably was.

Turning back to the two he chuckled again. Snape had his hand on the blonde's arm. It didn't look like much but he could tell it was the only thing keeping the other from drawing his wand. Well since the fire was already there. "Like what ya see?"

The reaction was instantaneous. The aristocrat, the oh so posh and proper well mannered high citizen of the wizarding world, blew up.

"How dare you! Treating my child like a mere grunt foot soldier! My son is the heir to one of the oldest families in the entire whole of the wizarding world and you have him running in silly circles!"

Lucius at this point broke away from Severus and stormed over to the mutant. He stopped just short but was close enough that if either of them took a deep breath they would be touching. Logan found himself face to face with an angered wizard; he didn't even flinch.

"Now, you had better tell me one good reason for such trivial things like running and trying to touch your toes or I swear, you will know why the Dark Lord placed such great value in me above all his other Death Eaters."

Taking a moment Logan pondered if that threat really counted to him. He was half tempted to test it but decided not today. Someday yeah, he would and he would enjoy it, but at the moment he had a gym full of kids who didn't need to see nor be caught in that. From behind him he could hear that the children were close to finishing up so he decided to do the same.

"How do you expect them to fight if after a few punches they get tried, if they have the reflexes of a tree when they have to dodge something up close? Fighting with magic and fighting with your body are two completely different things. If they are to learn what they are here for, they can't fall over in the first couple of seconds. Now, if you don't mind I have to get back to my class."

Holding back the urge to throw a punch just to see him bleed Logan turned and walked back over to his class. When he turned however he saw that all eyes were on him. Great. Coming to stand in front of the group he found that there were a number of them who were winded by the stretches. He took a deep breath. This was going to take a lot of patience on his part. Why the Hell couldn't Scott do this?

"Alright, since most of you all look about to fall over why don't you take a seat. To start off with, the first thing you will be learning in here will not be how to us swords or how to fight. How this class will go is first we will start off with the basics mixed in with getting you into shape. Break falls, blocking, things to get you to the point where if you are in a fight you will last long enough to get away. Then we will build up to teaching you to fight and if any of you get far enough, we may add weapons in there somewhere but I doubt that any of you will. Now-"

"Wait, so you mean we won't even be learning to fight yet?" Blaise called out.

"No, not right away-"

"Isn't that the whole point of this class, to learn how to fight? Why even be here if all we're going to be doing is sitting around and listening to lectures?" Seamus called out. A murmur followed agreeing.

Logan glared at the child. He guessed that he was going to be a pest the entire time if nothing was done right now. "That's right Bub. At the moment not a one of you is actually ready to fight. But if you think you can I welcome you to try. If you can land one punch on any of my students then that what we'll do. If not, you listen to me."

Seamus hesitated. He hadn't expected that. "It wouldn't be a fair fight. They have their powers and we can't use our wands, like you said."

"No powers. Come on, you want to prove you are ready to fight then this is how you can do it."

"Ok than." Standing up he slowly made his way to the mats. Harry watched as the class cheered him on but he couldn't help but think this was going to end badly. Seamus was an ok fighter, with magic, but this was entirely different. And Harry thought Seamus was being an idiot to question the Professor. While he didn't think just following peoples words was what should be done, Harry thought that every point the man made was valid. Seeing how winded some of them were just from running ran that point home. So staying seated, he watched as Seamus waited for the Professor to choose who it was he would fight.

Logan had the perfect person in mind for this. Something to knock that ego down just a little bit more. He had nothing against the kid, it was just in this class, in **his** class, you have to listen to him. In science or in English you got a few points taken off. In here, you get hurt, or others did. Stopping in front of Harker he motioned his head. "You're up midget."

Her only response to that was to walk over to the mats. Seamus first looked disbelieving not thinking that they actually wanted him to fight someone who hardly met his chest. And then he laughed.

"You're joking right? You want me to deck a fourteen year old? No, no; get someone else. I won't hit a kid and I sure as hell won't hit a girl." Crossing his arms he stood back, waiting for a different opponent.

"Don't worry about it." Logan called behind him, saying nothing about the curse. Walking with his students they went off to the side and sat back to watch. A few of them were wearing small smiles Harry noticed. They all seemed to be expecting something, the same something Harry found he had thought was going to go wrong. Besides him he saw Draco shift and turned to see him watching intently. Harry mused that Draco was probably looking more forward to the fight now that Harker was in it. He was practically bouncing in his seat, if that was possible for a Malfoy.

Turning back, he saw Seamus had stepped back up. Looking at the two besides each other, anyone would think that Seamus didn't have anything to worry about. She was more than a head shorter than the Irish student. But the professor wouldn't have chosen Harker if he wasn't thinking something about this fight would knock something into Seamus. Harry guessed that was why he chose her; because no one would think she would win.

"Hey, look I'm sorry about this. I don't be wanting ya crying when this is all over but-"

Harker tilted her head, "Why, you'll be the one to hit the mat." She waited, arms behind her back. Seamus, who had grown up in a muggle home and knew a little about fighting, took up a boxing stance. It was sloppy Harry noticed, much like Dudley when he was first learning. Seamus, trying to show what a tough guy he was threw a few fake jabs which had no affect on Harker. Seeming to get fed up with not being able to get anything out of Harker he went to make an actual hit.

The entire room was stunned. He hadn't even come close.

The throw went wide. It went really wide. Grabbing as it passed Harker shoved him down. Seamus was eating mat and Harker only went back to the other side, arms behind her back again.

"See, there was no reason to apologize." She said it in her normal no emotion voice. There was no teasing or taunting in it, she was just stating a fact. Yet Seamus was seemed more angered by this than if she had.

Red faced, he got back up and charged at her. This time she didn't grab him, just tripped him as he went by. Again he went to the mat. This time though when he tried to catch himself he landed badly, to where the whole room heard a very loud snap.

He held his injured arm to his chest as he got up, with the help of Logan. "Just so you know, she's actually sixteen and the youngest member of the X-Men team. Ever. Now, why don't you get to the infirmary."

Logan had turned away towards the class but Seamus wasn't giving up. "So you had me fighting one of your best? Well then you have to do the same. She has to fight the best we have."

"Oh really? Well I don't think your teachers would really be up for that-"

"I don't mean Snape or Malfoy! I mean the head of the D. A. Harry was the one who taught most of us to fight in the first place, he'd be a match for her." The Irish student sneered up at Logan. And Logan found himself taken aback. Not that he was being glared at by a kid with pimples, no, he go that all the time. No, it was the fact that this kid was still fighting him and pulling in someone else to do something he couldn't.

No one noticed Harker or how her breath suddenly became hitched.

In fact at Seamus' words all eyes in the gym turned to Harry and all he could do was drop his own for a moment. He should have expected this. Turning his head back up he shook it. "No. I have no problems with how you're teaching this class Professor Logan. Sorry Seamus, but I won't finish something you started, not when I don't think you were right."

After a moment Snape grabbed Seamus by the arm and practically dragged him out of the room, sputtering the whole time. Harry in a small way felt bad, but really, there had been no reason for him to be so outright troublesome. While Harry no longer simply followed everything told to him he listened to Logan and what he said had made sense. Also Seamus proved with his wrist that going straight into fighting at this stage could not have been a wise thing.

"Well, as mister Finnegan just proved, sometimes the actual fighting is not the part you should worry about, but the falling. If you try to catch yourselves wrong you can easily break something. So the first thing you all get to learn is how to fall." And for the next four hours that was all they did. They fell in every way possible, with intervals of about every half hour where they would do more laps and then a few stretches. Not a single one of them was able to walk out of the room without some form of help. Harry and all the other quidditch players dreaded tomorrow, because by then all the adrenaline would have worn off and they would have to play feeling beat to hell.

As Harry and the others began limping out they were all talking about the class and the prospect of the game the next day. But before Ron could take more than a couple of steps he saw Harker and the instructor talking. After what Hermione had said she heard yesterday, he decided this could be something to hear. Calling to the others to go he walked over to the bleachers again and sat down to tie his shoe. He also just so happened to be close enough to hear what they were saying.

"-Logan, this is like any other job."

"I know small pint, but like most others ya had some back up."

"Not since I was fifteen."

"You're only sixteen now and the Professor only let you go on one job by yourself and on it you disappeared for a good few months." He gave her a sharp look.

Ron was shocked when he heard her hesitate to respond to that. He hadn't thought it possible to do to the girl. "…True, but I can do this on my own. It's only protecting some paranoid businessman for a few days."

"Yeah, only protecting." The man scoffed but Ron thought it sounded more like something an animal would produce when annoyed. "Fine then, I'll leave it alone; but I still think you should call Jack on this. The little empath could probably keep you from doing something stupid."

"Thank you but no. Jack has a gig in two days, something I will not drag him from. Don't worry Logan, I will be back in a week. Good night." With that she walked away.

"Yeah, just don't get killed. I don't think Jackie boy would appreciate it." She didn't answer, merely kept walking. Ron listened as she did, his head still down. He hadn't heard anything else and looking up he saw that Logan was staring at him. He didn't move as the mutant walked towards him but his heart was pounding, to the point he thought he could actually hear it. And if he could, the man in front of him surely could.

"I don't know why you're interested in Harker, or why any of your friends are, but a word of advice, ya might want to be careful. She don' look it but your pal Seamus can tell ya just how painful she can be. 'Night." With that reminder he walked off, leaving behind Ron as the lights went out, too stunned to even move then.

* * *

**Saturday**

The game had started and up in the air all the players thought everything was going as it was supposed to. So did all in the audience. Except for a certain four.

Already four hours had passed in the game and even while every magical student and teacher there was used to such a long time for these games, the mutants were not. Many had long grown bored of the excitement coupled with them watching people on actual brooms. And Harry was not at all happy either. It just seemed like the snitch had disappeared all together. He had not even seen it once and he could tell that neither had the second year Slytherin seeker. Of course, it was the youngster's first game ever so he couldn't hold it against him but Harry was starting to wonder if perhaps something had happened to it.

Floating over to the Slytherin end he saw Draco motioning towards him. Smiling inwardly he thought about the second he came on to the field to see the blonde in front of the goal post at the end. Half his team nearly fell off their brooms when they saw he was the keeper, Harry included. Thinking back to the conversation he had had with Draco he groaned. It seemed ironic that the advice and criticism he had given was to Draco and he had not even known it! Shaking his head and returning back to the present he decided he had nothing else better to do so he went to see what he wanted.

Coming to a hover nearby Harry asked. "Yes oh glorious prince?"

"Faithful subject, have you seen anything yet? As much as I love to beat you, this is growing a little tiresome." It always amazed Harry that the snob never got a bloodied nose with how much he stuck it up in the air.

Laughing he answered back. "One, you have never beaten our team, not once, in the whole of six, going on seven, years so don't pull out the polishing rag quite yet for the cup. Two, no. If I had you could bet I wouldn't be just hovering." He grumped. This was starting to border on ridicules. Yes, there were such things as games that went on for days but never had one happened at Hogwarts and never had there ever been a game in which he played that lasted over three hours. The snitch in the school games was not as fast and elusive as professional ones.

In the crowd three of the brotherhood and one other had grown bored of their own little game. "Alright, this is so stupid now. Why don't we just let this go?" The blonde mutant held out the snitch in her hand which Julian had caught at the beginning of the game.

"Because you idiot, it won't work anymore. If you let it got Regan, it will only fall to the ground." Snatching the ball from her half-sister she showed her by throwing it at her head. After hitting Regan it fell, just like Martinique said.

"AH! You stupid skank!" Regan lunged for the other girl but a dark blond stopped the two of them before they could go at it, yet again.

"Hey, cut it out! I think I have an idea as to how we can make this game a little more fun. They need a ball, so why not give them one, and maybe a few more. You two up for it?" Looking at him curiously for a moment the two nodded their heads. "Julian? It would be a way to get at that kid you hate." Keller hesitated. Then, after a look towards one of the goal posts and seeing Potter just chilling out, he turned and nodded too. With that, Pyro pulled out his lighter.

Suddenly, Harry felt it before he saw anything. Warning alarms were screaming in his head and his extra sense suddenly leapt to the forefront of everything. Once he realized what happened and got used to it he looked around. His broom fell ten feet from his shock.

There were now about another twenty extra bludgers on the field but that wasn't what scared him. What they were made of did. He could tell to everyone they looked like normal balls, a glamour or illusion covering them, but really they were very compacted fire balls. Looking around with half normal, half magical view he saw that most of the others hadn't realized. In fact, one of Draco's beaters was just about to smack one with his bat.

"No!" But it was too late. With the impact of the bat the explosion was instantaneous. Fire was everywhere, engulfing the Slytherin in an instant. Covered in fire he started to fall.

Chaos filled the field as others noticed the odd happenings, yet now the balls seemed to be aiming for the players. The fallen student luckily hadn't been too far from the ground but that was all Harry was able to think as now a bludger was coming after him. He realized that there was nothing he could do magically, his wand could easily miss it and if anything else it might endanger everyone there. He still didn't fully understand, nor he could he fully control, his raw magic and now was _not_ the time to chance that it might work.

Speeding along the field he dodged and swerved, noticing he had company. From behind him Draco yelled, keeping close on his tail, "What the Hell is going on Potter!"

"I don't know!" Below them the field was swarming with more of the balls and that drove all the players upward. Some who had been lower down were lucky and had been able to land and then get away, but there were still three of his players and two of Draco's in the air. While they were going up to try and avoid the balls below, they were still being followed and with the higher they climbed the worse the fall would be for any hit.

"We have to do something Potter. My younger members aren't used to this. They can't keep this up!"

"I know!"

"Can't you do something?"

"Not unless I want to put everyone in more danger than they are now," he yelled, dodging one that flew an inch over his ear. "This is like second year all over again!"

"I would prefer that one bludger to this any day!" As they swept around they saw another two get hit but not who. The flames caught them and they plummeted over a hundred feet. Any attempts to catch them were stopped by the other faux balls. Nothing could be done as all watched them fall.

Suddenly they stopped. Everything stopped. The balls, the falling players, everything. The two injured players Harry could see were lowered to the ground and the balls still remained where they were.

Thinking it was safe, Harry started to make his way towards the hurt players to help if he could. He never saw the new ball created or that it was headed right towards him. If it hadn't been for the yelling he wouldn't have thought to look around. When he did he saw that it was a foot at most away from him and there was nothing he could have done.

It exploded before it hit him, almost like it had hit a wall or something. That same something kept the heat and shockwave from hitting him when it exploded. He flew straight through the flames and smoke, for as good as he was, there was no way he couldn't have. The wall gone, he just cut through it, the heat brushing his face, bits of the flame staying with him. He didn't stop to put it out, just kept heading for the ground.

Landing, he took no notice of what was happening around him and just tried to get to the players. In the air he couldn't tell who they were but now, through gaps and fleeting chances, he saw that the two who fell were his; and one of them was Ron. In that second of time, seeing a glimpse of his best mate covered in burns, Harry just stopped. After years of adventures, of fighting for their lives and he still…seeing this pain in one of the few he loved, he would not be used to seeing it come in another hundred years.

Rushing over he tried to get to Ron, yet there were too many people. Not a one would move! He was growing so frustrated, _why won't they just move dammit!?_ He was almost to the point of hexing every single one of them and had been going to draw his wand when suddenly he found himself picked up and _carried_ through the throng of people. Looking he saw that Poitr was the one holding him while in front Kurt and Sam were parting all in their way. Had he not been so flustered he would have been embarrassed to be held and picked up like a girl but he was too worried to care at the moment. Ron was hurt and the damn bastards wouldn't move! Finally, _finally!_ They came through the final circle of people and Poitr let him down but didn't let go completely. If he had Harry wouldn't have still been standing.

Ron was completely covered in burns. Where the skin wasn't an angry, agitated red from the burns, it was covered in black from the smoke. Most of his uniform was nothing more than a few wisps of crisp rags, hardly anything left. Snape stood over him working, casting spells and summoning vials and administrating them with quick but effective movements. Madame Pomfrey was working on the other who had fallen with Ron in the same manner.

"Severus, we need to get these three to the infirmary now."

"Alright." Immediately two stretchers appeared underneath them with a simple wand swish and with another they were three feet in the air and making their way into the school. Harry barely noticed the first player to fall being added to the following. He was about to go after them when a hand, wrinkled and weathered on his arm stopped him.

"Let them do what they need to Harry." Dumbledore said. "Pomfrey and Snape will be able to heal them, most likely completely but they need to do so with no distractions. There are others who need you more, people who need their friend and their captain."

Harry wanted to growl at the headmaster. Right now, **Ron** needed him. It was **Ron **and another one of his teammates who was hurt. He needed to be there, if not right there than right outside that door so he would be there the second it opened, to be there to help or to be the first to go in to see them or, hell, be the first they told! Yet Dumbledore, mighty Dumbledore wanted him to stay and keep others calm?! To be the one to keep them, everyone, together? That wasn't his job anymore! This was his best friend who needed him, his teammate and one of Draco's that he should be there for. He was no longer the golden boy who should have to stand in front of others and lead them. The war was over and so was the time where he would let himself be pushed into doing such.

"No Headmaster. It is Ron and my other teammate who needs me." Here he saw Hermione and Draco make their way to stand besides him. "Let the teachers, whose job it is, be there for the other students. Right now, I am going where I need to and _that_ is to the infirmary."

With that he took off at a run with the other two right alongside him, leaving Dumbledore standing shocked and gaping, staring off after them.

* * *

**Tuesday**

It was three days of waiting on a couch outside the frost covered glass door of the infirmary before the three heard anything about their friends. The other two who had fallen were a fifth year Slytherin beater who had been the first to fall and who had the least damage, the other a third year Gryffindor chaser who had been the one to fall with Ron. He and Ron had been caught before they had hit the ground by one of the mutants but it seemed the fire balls had only grown more powerful as they went. Sever third degree burns had covered most of their bodies and they had been more than lucky that Snape had only just brewed a batch of very powerful burn healing potion or else they may have been permanently scared or maimed for the rest of their lives. If it had been older than even a few days it would have lost the extra amount of power it had to it, the same amount needed to make a full recovery for all three of them, barely.

Tuesday they were all sitting there, ignoring the fact that the teachers who passed every so often would throw a glare at them for skipping class. They didn't care. They were going to wait as long as it took until they could actually see that the three were alright. No amount of slipped sleep charms or evil death glares were going to make them move.

Hermione was leaning against Harry's side and Draco had his head set back against them wall, all at various point of slipping off into sleep when the door they had been watching for threes days opened and a smiling mediwitch stepped out. Immediately the three were up and rushing for the door. She had wisely stepped aside as the three stumbled, tripped and almost fell completely over after three very long days of little sleep or food and very much worry. In all her years she had never seen children more loyal and dedicated to each other than the ones right in front of her. Malfoy was a slight shock to her, yes, seeing him especially as a new addition to the group but not something she would ever throw scorn at. She rather liked it this way, him being their friend instead of the one putting them under her care.

Harry went to his player, Draco to his and Hermione to Ron. Harry wanted to rush over and make sure his best mate was alright but he had seen how the past days had torn at Hermione. She needed this time for herself and to make sure everything was alright. The events at the game had done more damage to her than even he could conceive. So he checked on his teammate.

"Hey Charlie, how you doing?"

"Good Caption. M' wondering when he get our rematch though?"

Harry laughed. "Haha, it was decided that there wouldn't be one. We will just leave it with the points we had before…everything."

The young chaser looked over at the Slytherin a bit worriedly. "I'm guessing Malfoy wasn't happy about that?"

"You kidding me? That's a given. He cursed for six hours straight when he heard that. He only shut up when Snape hit him with a sleep charm. Cursed another two when he woke up." The two laughed again and then after a few minutes of talking they finally got to the heart of what had caused this whole mess.

"So, what happened out there?" The three who were not attached to beds looked at each other. This was the part not a single one of them was looking forward to. Shifting in his seat Harry took point and explained all that happened. After about fifteen minute of summarizing the last three days silence hit the room. The three injured players were taking it all in. The fact that a few of the mutants had taken setting other people on fire as a mere prank angered not only them but the other three as well.

"Tell me Xavier is kicking them out, that they are in some way being punished for this?" Ron asked angrily.

_Dammit Ron, that just had to be the first question you asked._ In fact, none of the mutants involved had been punished at all by Xavier. Instead it had been Magneto who had done so. Harry hadn't heard exactly what that pertained to, and he couldn't be sure if Magneto handing out the punishment was better or worse than if Xavier had.

At Harry's hesitation Hermione took point. "No. Xavier can't do anything about the punishment for them. Magneto said flat out he would deal with his own. There were three of them. A fire starter named, ironically, Pryo and two illusionists who are sisters. I think they were more afraid of what he would do than what Xavier would have. When we saw them walking by, they looked like it was a Dementor that was waiting for them."

The six were silent for a few moments, all lost in their own thoughts. Some were thinking over the punishments they wished to happen, some going over how the entire thing happened again. Harry found himself wondering just what happened to the three mutants. Nothing had been heard about them since they first were handed over to Magneto. They had walked by the infirmary on their way to the dorms and Hermione hadn't been lying. They had looked so scared. He wished he knew what had happened. They had looked hard, like they couldn't care less about anything someone said to them be it a teacher or law officer. He wanted to say misfits but he could be called that so he didn't, but whatever the elder Brotherhood leader decided for them had scared them. So much that they had to drag one of the girls by. What could have been so bad that three who couldn't have cared about anything someone with authority said, looked like they were essentially walking down death row?

Suddenly Draco said something, interrupting all from their thoughts. Only Harry, Hermione and Ron really heard him though, the other two had gone back to sleep. "Well, I guess it was a good thing Harker put up that shield or else you would have been right here Harry."

Harry smiled a bit at that. Now that he thought about it he should go and thank Harker. Like Draco said, if she hadn't-

"But she wasn't there." Immediately the three zeroed in on Hermione. "Harker left for some job right after our training session on Friday. She still isn't back and she most defiantly wasn't there for the game."

"Yeah, I even heard her talking to Professor Logan about it. She left right after the class." Ron added.

Draco though was confused. "But if she wasn't there then how-"

"That doesn't matter right now." Harry interrupted. Figuring out how a shield had been put up wasn't what he wanted to think about. Over the last three days he had thought a lot over it, in between worrying over his friends and contemplating what was to happen to the three responsible. In all his thoughts he never found a conclusion he liked to anything. Lowering his voice and moving over to Ron's bed, Draco doing the same, he continued. "Right now we shouldn't be worrying about how I didn't end up in here-"

"Harry-" Hermione tried, but was interrupted by him.

"Hermione, what we should be thinking over is the fact Harker is gone. This right now is the perfect opportunity to find the Horcrux, if she does have one. We will never get another chance like now."

"Harry, do you really think-"

"Yes I do. This is most likely the only shot we'll get. We need to make sure, because even if it isn't Voldemort's or even a Horcrux it's dark magic… For some reason there is something in me saying to trust her, to believe she isn't dark, but my mind and my logic and everything we have seen so far say different. We know she has this and now might be the only time to look for it."

It was Ron who tried to reason with him next. "Mate, she could be getting back this very moment. And do you really think she would leave something like that unguarded and unprotected? She can create unbreakable shields Harry! Think about this-"

"I have and I still see this as the only time. It's perfect. No one will think anything about us being in that part of the school because we go there all the time. If there is something in there we need to get it!"

"Ok, let's say we do this. What if we can't even get in? Like Ron said she creates shields. What if there's one to keep us from even getting in her room? And this is Harker Harry. We know nothing about her. Jumping to conclusions-" Hermione explained but again was cut off. She was beginning to get very frustrated with her friend.

"You say what if there are shield keeping us out? I have a solution. Kreacher." With a pop the elder house-elf appeared. "Harker's shields are around the school and we know house-elves can apparate inside the wards of both Hogwarts and Malfoy manor; look what Dobby did second year. We now know they can get in here too it seems." Turning to the house-elf, he gave it his request. "Kreaher, I need your help tonight. Would you be willing to take me into a certain room within this school?"

Last year Harry and Kreacher had come to an understanding. Neither liked each other and Harry still had a lot of problems with him, but with the promise of having any of the possessions of Sirius's mother that Harry had found in the Black vaults that Kreacher wished, Kreacher now obeyed him, some, and stopped with the constant insults. "Of course Master Potter."

"Thank you Kreacher. I'll call for you when we get everything ready. Right now I need you to go back home before anyone finds you here."

"Yes Master Potter." Snapping his fingers the elf popped out of the infirmary. Silence hit Harry and when he looked up he saw a very pissed Hermione.

"Hermione-"

"Harry this is completely insane! This isn't a plan; this is a half a thought in that thick skull of yours that you are saying is a plan. We have no proof of anything and you are jumping as if she's already been tried and sentenced. Remember how many times we thought something about Snape and every time we were wrong?! Not only that but-"

"Hermione!" His yell cut off any other words she was about to say and shocked the other two. Taking a look to make sure the other two hadn't woken and that no upset school nurse came for him he exhaled. Turning back to Hermione he saw he upset her. He shouldn't have yelled at her. "I'm sorry, but I have to do this Hermione. I have to find out if the thing inside me that's screaming at me to trust her is wrong. I have to know whether the things that makes me trust you three, that has lead me through every encounter with Voldemort and has kept me alive for seventeen years, is wrong right now. I'm not going to condemn her, I'm going to try and clear her. I need you to understand this Hermione, please. Please, trust me here."

He looked at her pleadingly. There was nothing more he could say. He could beg her to trust him, but really, he knew that wouldn't help. He just needed her in on this.

After a few moments Hermione nodded her head. "Alright then. We can't let you do this by yourself. Knowing you you'd be caught by Harker and killed by Summers. But Harry, if you ever yell at me again there will be no one for Kreacher to follow because I will put an end to the Black line, I swear."

"Actually, the Black line would carry on to me if anything happened to Potter," Draco said absently.

"Keep it up Malfoy, and that threat will still stand." At her glare he shut up. Harry could see he wanted to say something but even Snape shut up sometimes when it came to Hermione. Turning to him Hermione continued. "So tonight. If this goes wrong Harry, I'll kill you."

* * *

Dinner time had hit, and while everyone was in the dinning hall, Harry and Draco were in the corridor leading to the mutant dorms. Draco was the lookout that would remain right outside the door while Hermione and Ron were placed down the way to give them the heads up using the coins from fifth year.

They came to a corner that Harry stopped and peaked around. At the end were the three Brotherhood members who had cause all the problems at the game. Behind him Harry could feel Draco tensing up and he had to grab him before the blonde could do anything.

"Wait Draco." Throwing his invisibility cloak over them the two listened. It wasn't hard to hear anything said even though the three were all the way at the other end of the hall.

"I can't believe Magneto did this!! Our powers, our POWERS!!! That damn bat and his fucking suggestion!" _Bat? _Harry and Draco looked at each other, both confused. "I'm not some lab rat that they can simply use-"

"Shut up Regan! We all lost our powers, not just you, so just shut the fuck up!" Martinique shouted.

"Why you bitc-"

"Enough, the both of you." Harry noticed the dark blonde with them. He was the one who actually created the fire balls. "Magneto said the potion was only temporary-" _Potion? Bats, potions, experiments... _Harry was beginning to maybe see where the idea of their punishment came from and what exactly it was.

"To a magical, not to us." And there it was, the answer. "We don't know how this will affect us, _John_."

Immediately the blonde had the brunet against the wall. Regan did nothing at all, except maybe look excited. "You ever call me that again and I'll kill you." Glaring at the girl his hand clenched around her throat before he stepped back. Martinique however didn't look fazed in the least and merely smirked at him.

"Fine, Pyro from now on then. But back to why idiot and us are here." The blonde behind her let out an enraged growl. "Why is it that there are only three of use that got the potion instead of four?"

"Because no one thought there was anyone involved. Julian got out of trouble because he was smart enough to have not said a damn thing."

Both Harry and Draco stared, stunned, at the three in front of them. Keller had been a part of it? Sharing a glance the two almost missed the new comer. "No, the reason I didn't get caught was because Xavier is too trusting. All he'd have to do is look in your heads, but that would be invading privacy."

"Julian! I swear I should go and tell old wheels' myself. If we have to be experiments then so do you!"

Regan turned around and was beginning to walk away when Martinique grabbed her. "No, why tattletale dear _sister_," Harry heard how she practically spat the word, "when we can use it? Julian here is probably wound tighter than 'stick up the ass' Summers. He would do _anything _to keep people from finding out. Xavier would expel him, and the magicals would hunt him down."

"Yeah, with something like this we'd own boy coward here." Pyro added.

"I'm no coward." Julian tried to defend but even with his back turned to him Harry could see him almost quivering.

"Yes you are. If you had any kind of spine you would have been right there with us, taking that damn potion. But scared little you probably hid in a closet somewhere until they already had us hauled off." The three laughed while Keller scowled at them.

"So what do you want?"

After a moment of thinking Pyro spoke. "Nothing now. But we'll think of something." With that the three walked away. Keller watched them as they went, hand clenching and unclenching. Then turning he walked in the other direction, right past Harry and Draco. Draco held Harry, thinking the other would likely jump Keller. Keller merely walked past though, never realizing the two were there. After a minute of waiting to make sure the hall was clear the two pulled off the cloak and were off again. Both almost missed the door they were looking for because of how deep in thought they were.

Yet Draco did stop and grabbed Harry to do so as well. Unlike all the other doors in the hall Harker's was completely bare. All there was on it was a nameplate. Amanda's door that was to the right had pictures of her and Kurt, some even of the Halloween party. Harry even saw one of himself on hers and he felt a stab of guilt in this. He needed to know yes, but he also knew that if Amanda ever found out she would hate him forever. Putting that aside he called Kreacher.

With a pop he was there, and with another they were on the other side of the door. Draco stayed outside to be the last lookout. Looking around, the door outside was a very good indication of the inside. The room was so bare that Harry would have guessed no one lived in it if not for the small signs. The desk was filled with books, all orderly stacked. The bed cover wasn't the standard issued one for newcomers, and last, there was one picture pinned to the wall. In it were Harker and Jack along with three other men and an older woman. Harker looked about thirteen maybe.

The only thing that was really out of place was the door in the corner. Harry had seen both Amanda's and Kurt's rooms and neither had a closet. There was a dresser, but not a closet.

Beginning to search he brought his extra sense out to help. Immediately he noticed two things. One, that the door was magic, likely a magic-me door. Second was, he felt the Horcrux.

On the desk in a little cabinet it pulsed to him. It was dulled down; he could hardly even feel it. Then, the realization of whose it was hit him hard. It was now impossible to ignore what it was. Not two feet from him was the last Horcrux, the last _true_ Horcrux, of Voldemort. Harry could feel his ominous soul and black presence. In the back of his mind he could hear echoes of all those who had fallen because of him. The dozens upon dozens of muggles he saw tortured, raped, and killed. Order members, wizards in the streets, Mr. Weasley, Sirius, his father, his mum.

Walking to the desk his mind was half lost in the echoes. So lost he, almost absently, reached forward and tried to open the drawer. But before he could even touch it his hand hit a wall.

"Dammit, one of her bloody shields!" His whispers seemed to bounce around the walls, returning to scream at him tauntingly. Standing there he thought about how he could get it. As far as he knew there was nothing that could break one of her shields. The only thing that might work was…

Gathering his hands in front of him he started to summon some raw magic when in his pocket one of the coins went off. His first warning. Ignoring it he continued. He tried to gather his magic to break through, but it was almost like it was refusing. It fought and shuffled away from his grasp, but he needed it! He needed to destroy what he thought he already had. Yet it stayed out of his reach until both the second and then third coin went off as well, blazing almost red hot against his leg. Stopping and silently cursing he called for Kreacher and was outside the door. Immediately he grabbed Draco and the two popped out and right into the Gryffindor common room, right as the first mutant walked into the hall. She along with a few others heard the pop but thought nothing of it.

In the Gryffindor commons Harry turned to the elf. "Thank you Kreacher, we would have been lost without your help." The elf merely bowed but both Harry and Draco saw the shine in his eyes. Having a master that appreciated him was something the elf never had in Sirius, Harry knew. Like all house-elves, Kreacher merely wished to serve a master he approved of.

With another bow Kreacher popped out and a few seconds later Hermione and Ron came in, huffing and puffing. The three turned to Harry and he answered what none would ask.

"It's true. She has the last of Voldemort Horcrux."

Hermione stepped towards him, hesitating for the first time in her life to ask a question. "Then the locket, what was that then?"

"It was a Horcrux Hermione, I know that. Only now, I don't know whose."

* * *

Alright that is it for this chapter. I hope everyone liked it. I was really pleased with this one and if you were too let me know. So next chapter is the trip to New York and believe me, you'll want to read it. On that note, I'm planning on using some music in the next one. Anyone who has any suggestions would be loved and thanked.

Here I have to give a huge shout out to my beta, thanks for all the help and editing and pointing out those things I missed. As forgetful as I am I might never have remembered. Thanks Ryuu2.

Now, below is that list of mutants I promised.

**Mutant list**...................................................................................................................................

**Professor Charles Xavier**: Telepath. Among the most powerful telepaths in the world. Can manipulate the minds of others, ranging up to 250 miles, warp perceptions to make himself seem invisible, project mental illusions, cause loss of particular memories, and induce pain or temporary mental and/or physical paralysis in others. Within close range, he can manipulate almost any number of minds for such simple feats.

**Logan: Wolverine: **Accelerated healing process and his skeleton is reinforced with the nearly-indestructible metal adamantium. The steel claws which he is known for are made of such.

**Jean Grey: No alias: **Telepathy which allows her to read, influence, control, and communicate with the minds of others and generate telepathic force blasts that can stun or kill others. Also pocesses very strong telekinesis.

**Scott Summers: Cyclops: **Emits red beams of very high powered energy from his eyes

**Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy: Beast: **Possesses superhuman strength, agility, endurance, and speed, despite his bulk. He possesses the agility of a great ape and the acrobatic prowess of an accomplished circus aerialist. Is covered in clue fur.

**Warren Kenneth Worthington III: Angel:** Flight via his large feathered wings. His wings have super strength, and they have a very flexible skeletal structure

**Robert "Bobby" Louis Drake: Iceman:** Can freeze ambient water vapor in immediate area into ice of any shape and form he wishes.

**Ororo Iqadi T'Challa**, **née** **Munroe: Storm: **Make and control almost all forms of weather and what all pertains to them. Ex: hurricane strength winds, lighting seemingly out of nowhere inside a buildings.

…...............…………………………..Xavier Students……………………………….................

**Anna Marie: Rogue: **Has the ability to absorb thoughts/personalities and abilities of individuals or several beings and sometimes their memories and certain characteristics as well.

**Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin:** **Colossus: **Transform his entire body into a form of 'organic steel' making him practically invulnerable and is super strong in both that form and his normal one.

**Katherine **"**Kitty**" **Anne** **Pryde: Shadowcat: **Can pass through solid matter.

**Kurt Wagner:** **Nightcrawler: **Teleportation. Unique physiology provides him superhuman agility, superior night vision, walk crawling, a prehensile tail, blue fur.

**Harker: Impasse: **Can create shields that are unbreakable, both around physical things and around the mind.

**Julian Keller: Hellion: **Telekinetic and able to fly at subsonic speeds, create telekinetic force fields, unleash powerful blasts of telekinetic force, and levitate and manipulate objects from afar. Has much power, almost one of the most powerful in the school, but not enough control.

**Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock: Psylocke:** Telepathy. She can read and project thoughts over long distances; control minds; subdue and tap into other's powers; affect people's memories; project psychic waves (psywaves); and generate psi-bolts that could stun, injure, or kill others. She could scan entire towns with her mind, and leaf through the psyches of the inhabitants of a city to learn of their condition or intentions. She could also probe individuals to check up on their status.

**Samuel Zachary Guthrie: Cannonball: **Can bodily generate thermo-chemical energy and release it from his skin. This energy is used as thrust to propel his body through the air like a rocket, at great heights and speeds with considerable maneuverability.

**Joshua "Jay" Guthrie: Icarus: **Red-colored, feathered angel-like wings allow flight and produce extensive regenerative enzymes allowing him to recover from normally fatal injuries. However, this healing factor comes from his wings.

**Roberto "Bobby" da Costa: Sunspot:** Absorb solar energy and convert it for use as physical strength.

**Jamie Madrox: Multiple Man: **Creates an identical physical living duplicate of himself upon any physical impact, possibly via extra dimensional mass acquisition. This process is spontaneous and cannot be prevented by Madrox.

**Theresa Cassidy: Siryn: **Possesses sonic powers similar to those of her father Banshee, although she is able to use her powers in ways that he apparently could not.

**Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee: Wondera: **Possesses the mutant ability to generate what she calls her "fireworks": energy globules that vary in degrees of power and intensity.

**Tessa: Sage: **Possesses a cyber-pathic mind that functions like a computer with unlimited storage capacity. Sage is able to record and analyze vast amounts of data, including the entire genetic code of another living being, and can also calculate complex statistics in mere seconds.

**Davis "Davey" Cameron: Slipstream: **Can generate a warp portal in the fabric of space and ride the resultant warp-wave akin to a surfer riding a wave. Can use this ability to travel to virtually any point on earth at faster-than-light speed, and can ferry others through the portal with him. While on a warp-wave, Slipstream's vision is narrowed to a pinpoint focus directly ahead of him to better allow him to safely transverse it.

**James Proudstar: Warpath: **Enhanced strength, speed, durability, reflexes, and senses; flight. In response to his mutant his body has grown to compensate, so he is about 7'2.

**Rahne Sinclair: Wolfsbane: **She has ability to transform herself into a wolf at will, while retaining her human intelligence, or into a transitional form which combines human and lupine aspects, looking similiar to a werewolf.

**Hepzibah:** Cat like mutant, possesses enhanced agility, speed, reflexes, coordination, balance, hyper-keen senses, and superhumanly acute night vision and sense of smell. She also has retractable claws, and the ability to emit specific mind/mood-altering pheromones at will.

**Victor Borkowski: Anole: **Can stick to solid surfaces, and enhanced agility, speed, reflexes, coordination, and balance. Mutation has given him a reptilian appearance.

……………………………….....Morlocks………….................................

**Storm-**Leader of the Morlocks.

**Callisto**: Possesses enhanced senses of sight (including night vision), hearing, smell, taste, and touch, and possibly moderate degrees of enhanced strength and agility.

**Caliban:** Superhuman speed, stamina, durability, reflexes, agility and claws.

**Spyke: **Can extend self-repairing exoskeleton and projectile spikes.

**Christina: Angel Dust: **Superhuman strength and speed temporarily granted by her ability to chemically supercharge her adrenaline levels.

**Maria Callasantos: Feral:** Cat like appearance and abilities.

**Shatte**r: His entire body is composed of a blue-black, diamond-hard, crystalline substance, which renders him invulnerable to most conventional attacks. He can regenerate lost limbs, and possesses the ability to crystallize any liquid substance he comes into contact with, such as water, oil, and presumably blood.

**Cel**l: Can fuse his molecular structure into a uni-cellular organism that can harmlessly absorb attacks, disintegrate into a semi-liquid state to expand and stretch, release a digestive acid to metabolize food inside his body or burn into matter upon contact.

**Electric Eve**: Electrical generation. Could generate small bursts, or enough energy to kill a man and short circuit computer systems.

………………………..Brotherhood…………………………….

**Leader:**** Erik Lehnsherr: Magneto: **Manipulate the electromagnetic force to achieve a wide range of effects.

**Jason Wynyard: Mastermind**: Can perform illusions which affect all five of the senses.

**Martinique Wynyard: Goddess Mastermind: **Can perform illusions which affect all five of the senses and has limited telepathy.

**Regan Wynyard: Mistress Mastermind: **Can perform illusions which affect all five of the senses.

**Raven Darkhölme: Mystique: **Shape shift into the form of any person.

**Victor Creed: Sabertooth:** Accelerated healing and superhumanly acute senses that are comparable to those possessed by certain animals.

**St. John Allerdyce: Pyro: **Can control and manipulate fire, yet not create it.

**Pietro Maximoff: Quicksilver: **Super speed.

**Wanda Maximoff: Scarlet Witch: **Hex bolts and flight.

**Dominikos 'Vance' Ioannis Petrakis: Avalanche: **Cause seismic vibrations**.**

**Fred Dukes: Blob: **Powers relate to the mass, strength, resilience and indestructibility of his obese body.

**Mortimer Toynbee: Toad or The Terrible Toad-King: **Can leap much similar to a toad and has many characteristics of a toad.

…………………..…Unassociated, graduated or other……………………….

**Jack Mercer: Empath: **Telepath and empath and can project emotions and thoughts to other people.

**Remy LeBeau: Gambit: **Has the ability to tap into the potential energy contained within an object and transform it into kinetic energy upon touching it. When Gambit thus charges an object and throws it at a target, the object releases this energy explosively on impact. Gambit is unable to use this power to charge living objects. What he mostly uses this on is either playing cards or his staff.

**Sean Cassidy: Banshee: **He creates powerful sonic waves with his voice with which he can achieve various effects, often with the assistance of limited psionic abilities which function only in unison with his sonic power.

**Emma Frost: White Queen: **Possesses telepathy abilities almost matching those of Charles Xavier. As a result of undergoing a body-wide secondary mutation, Frost possesses the ability to transform her body into a flexible organic diamond form.

**Alison Blaire: Dazzler: **Turn sound vibrations into light.

**Dr. Moira MacTaggert**: Non-mutant: Geneticist.

Note: To any out there who are avid x-men people. I might not use all these guys, but if a mutant shows up they will be on here. Also you want a mutant added just tell me, I can always use more.

And another note my beta was wise to tell me to write was that this list is subject to change. In actuality I only know about half of this story, the main highlights at that, so I might find I need more mutants later. So I'm more likely to add than I am to subtract but hey, if I even do I'll post a notice saying I have. So anyway, later!


End file.
